With third win in seven months, Choi moves into elite company

HONOLULU -- The ballroom at Waialae Country Club has rarely been so raucous after the Sony Open.

The cheers for K.J. Choi drowned out the surf and wind on the other side of glass doors when he walked onto the stage wearing three leis and a smile that lit up the night. After a few Hawaiian songs in his honor, it took 15 minutes for him to leave the stage because of members, guests and fans who wanted their picture taken with him, or at least his autograph on their ticket.

"K.J. Choi, ladies and gentleman, our Sony Open champion," the announcer boomed into a mike. "He's on his way home to Texas and won't play again until the Buick Invitational against Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson."

The roar brought another smile to Choi.

He has been playing the PGA Tour since 2000, and rarely hears his name mentioned in the same sentence with the top two players in the world. But the more he keeps winning, it might be hard to leave him out of the conversation.

Choi has established himself as the best Asian player in the world, the only one in the top 25. But he is moving into more elite company now, especially after a wire-to-wire victory in the Sony Open, his third PGA Tour victory in his last 12 starts.

The 37-year-old from South Korea is now at No. 7 in the world, a career high for him.

His 3-shot victory at Waialae, in which he built a four-shot lead going into the final round and survived blustery conditions to hold off a late charge from Rory Sabbatini, was the seventh in his career. Choi has won at least one PGA Tour event each of the last four years, something only Woods, Mickelson and Vijay Singh can claim at the moment.

This was the second piece of news Choi had heard Sunday.

The first came after tapping in on the 18th for his only birdie of a tough final round, when friends and fans told him that Sunday was the 105th anniversary of Korean immigration to America, starting with 101 men, women and children aboard the ship Gaelic that sailed into Honolulu Harbor at dawn on Jan. 13, 1903.

That made his victory feel even more meaningful.

But being linked to Woods, Mickelson and Singh? That only made him determined.

"It was all through hard work," he said. "And all I can do right now is just try my best, and just try to fill this empty cup that's out there, keep on filling it up."

Filling the cup?

One would think the cup is fairly full after the year he had, winning the Memorial Tournament in early June and the AT&T National at Congressional a month later. One tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus, the other by Woods.

"It never gets full," Choi said. "When it's half-full, then you just empty it out again and just keep on trying to find improvement."

The next logical step is a major championship.

Choi figured his victory at the Sony Open was good preparation, for no other reason than the demand on his patience. When he left the course Saturday night with a 4-shot lead at 15-under par, he figured a 2-under 68 would be required to win. But when the wind made palm trees sway and low scores vanish, he found himself grinding for par.

"I think this golf course here at Waialae is probably one of the consummate, classic golf courses," Sabbatini said. "It takes a lot of concentration, a lot of discipline out here on this golf course. And it definitely shows why K.J. is doing so well here."

Discipline and determination have been his trademarks since Choi first picked up a book written by Nicklaus as a teenager. He was a weightlifter before golf, hiking up mountains with 55 pounds strapped to his shoulders. He spent two years of military service in South Korea, where he thrived on regimen working as a guard.

And when he wanted to be a pro, he had a tough time convincing the family of his future bride that he could provide a good living.

"When I got my first win, they approved," he said, breaking into laughter.

"They weren't against the fact that I wanted to be a professional golfer," he added. "I think they were against the fact that as a golfer, your income is uncertain. They thought there was a lot of risk involved. But when they looked at my eyes, they saw that I had the passion, the urge, to succeed. And I think once they read that in my eyes, that's when they approved."

Even now, Choi has a hard time believing he has 7 career victories.

"When I passed Q-school back in '99, everybody around me said that I probably won't even last a year out there," he said.

Recognition has been building. Choi is reaching that level where, although he doesn't sell tickets or move the TV ratings, his name alone will boost the perception of a strong field.

An argument can be made that he might be the best player without a major. Sergio Garcia has more worldwide victories (16-13) and has been in contention more often in majors, although Choi is building an impressive résumé by winning regularly on the toughest tour in golf.

"I'm not trying to win a major just to gain respect or just to gain more fan support or increase my fan base," Choi said. "I want to win a major because I want to win a major, and that's my goal. Winning a major is the highest achievement a professional golfer can achieve. I think if I work hard and win that major, all the rest will just follow that."

He is clearly headed in the right direction.