Yeoju, South Korea: South Korea’s KJ Choi is aiming to become the first player to win the same Asian Tour event for three straight years when he tees off at this week’s CJ Invitational.
“I’m eyeing a third win in this event but obviously it won’t be easy. No player has done it on the Asian Tour before and I hope to be the first,” the 43-year-old, who hosts the $750,000 event in the city of Yeoju, said in an Asian Tour statement yesterday.
Choi fired a final round four-under-par 67 at the Haesley Nine Bridges Golf Club course last year to win the event by two shots from compatriots Jang Dong-kyu and Bae Sang-moon, matching his margin of victory in the inaugural event in 2011. An eight-time winner on the US PGA Tour, Choi is yet to claim a title this year but said he was in good form ahead of his own event.
“I did not win this year but I made all the cuts in all the major tournaments so that’s a positive sign for me. I finished higher on the US PGA Tour rankings compared to last year so that’s another success for me,” Choi said. Swede Rikard Karlberg believes Choi’s reign will end this week with the Asian Tour field catching up on the world number 119’s home advantage.
“KJ has shown us how strong and solid his game is. He has lectured us like small boys in this tournament but I think the players now are getting better and better and they are more used to the golf course,” the twice Asian Tour winner said. AFP
