July 24: Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat has decided to channel his energy and focus towards the new 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season starting in September.

The Asian golf star, who turned 31 on Thursday, opted to skip the TOUR’s return to golf last month after flying home to Bangkok in mid-April following the initial suspension of the TOUR due to COVID-19.

While he has missed competition, the enforced break has proven to be a blessing in disguise as it has allowed him to rest and recuperate from a lingering knee injury sustained over a year ago.

Kiradech said he is now planning to return to his U.S. base in Orlando, Florida, sometime next month to prepare for the new season, which is tentatively set to begin September 10 at the Safeway Open in Napa, California. The U.S. Open is scheduled for the following week at Winged Foot Golf Club.

“If everything falls into plan, I will go back to Orlando in a few weeks’ time,” said Kiradech, the first Thai to hold a full PGA TOUR card. “It should give me time to prepare for the new season which will be my main focus. I will need to get ready as I want to come back stronger and regain my form. I plan to play in everything that I can get into from September onwards. I really miss the game and I want to go back to work.”

The burly Kiradech, who is often referred to as ‘Asia’s John Daly,’ has played in only six tournaments in the current 2019-20 season, with a best finish of T8 at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in Korea last October. He finished tied for 27th at the Puerto Rico Open in February and missed four other cuts. He currently sits at No. 182 on the FedExCup points list.

With the PGA TOUR extending playing exemptions through the 2020-21 season due to an abbreviated year, Kiradech felt his decision to start afresh in the new season was the best option.

“I’ve not played much golf at home but I’ve stayed fit and healthy. It has been good spending time with my family. I haven’t spent too much time on golf and I hope this (health) situation will pass quickly,” said Kiradech, a former Asian Tour No. 1 and four-time European Tour winner.

With the TOUR playing its seventh tournament in the return to golf this week at the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities, Kiradech said he has refrained from watching the action on TV.

“I have missed golf but I’ve not watched any of it or searched for golf news. I just wanted to get away from watching as I would miss it even more knowing I’m not there playing,” said Kiradech, whose world ranking has dipped to No. 168.

“I normally play 30-plus weeks a year, so to skip tournaments is a tough thing to do.”

Having turned 31 this week, Kiradech spent his special day with family visiting a temple in Ubon Ratchathani, east of Bangkok. In 2014, he spent a week in a Siamese temple where he learnt the ways of a monk, which included shaving his head and eyebrow, waking up at 4.30 a.m., meditating and walking bare feet for kilometres to gather food for village folks.

“It’s a Thai culture, something that we do on our birthdays whenever we can to seek blessings from the monks,” he said. “I pray that I’ll come back strong. I believe I can win on the PGA TOUR when I get back out there and I also want to move back into the world’s top-50.”

Ends.

On this day eight years ago Jeev Milkha Singh claimed an exceptional victory in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart Golf Links, Inverness, in brutal weather – the likes of which he had never before experienced playing in a tournament. From his home in Chandigarh, India – where he has been since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic – he talked to Simon Wilson about that special July 15^th when, once again in his career, he made history.

Jeev Milkha Singh’s historic victory in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in 2012 was a dream story for the many media gathered there to cover the prestigious event – which was being played at Castle Stuart Golf Links for only the second time.

There were a wealth of great angles and strong story lines to work with, especially when India’s golfing talisman said that while he was waiting in the clubhouse to see if he was going to make it into a play-off: “I was just enjoying a cup of tea and some chocolate cake and watching it on television, and suddenly got excited.”

The cake angle was widely used in most of the coverage and Singh certainly ‘had his cake and ate it’, and enjoyed ‘the icing on the cake’.

But, the win certainly wasn’t a ‘piece of cake’.

For while it was a dream narrative for the press, the victory went beyond Singh’s wildest dreams in the wildest weather he had ever played in.

“Let me tell you, it was one of the toughest days you could have played golf in,” says Singh about the final day.

“It was cold and windy and there was rain. There were all three coming together. I didn’t have any sensation in my hands because it was so cold. At times there was torrential rain, and the wind was blowing right to left at about 30 or 40 mph.

“I remember the rain. After I had put the umbrella down to hit shots it was like somebody was putting a needle in your face.”

The weather was one thing, his position on the leaderboard another.

He started that Sunday five shots off the lead, which was held by Italian Francesco Molinari – the leader after each of the first three days.

Defending champion Luke Donald from England was in the hunt, as was American Phil Mickelson, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, Swede Henrik Stenson, Ireland’s Shane Lowry and many other household names.

The tournament, boasting total prizemoney of €3,136,252 (approx. US$ 3,542,394), was being played a week before The Open and drew a stellar field.

So Singh had his work cut out, but with three European Tour victories, five Asian Tour wins, four Japan Tour successes and two Asian Tour Order of Merit titles already under his belt, his illustrious rivals should have been more prepared with what was about to happen.

The weather had been fine for the first three days but as Singh explains there was a paradigm shift in the elements for the fourth and final round, even though this was summer time.

“On the first hole at Castle Stuart [a 439-yard par-four] for the first three days I hit a three wood or a rescue [off the tee] and then a wedge or a nine iron in. But on that last day I hit a driver and a three iron and that three iron did not go more than 15-feet high and landed about two-feet from the cup. That was an amazing start!” says the Indian star, who was paired with Spaniard Ignacio Garrido at 11.36am – 10 groups and 35 minutes behind the last group consisting of Molinari and Denmark’s Anders Hansen.

He birdied four out of the first six holes, made another birdie on number 10 and then he parred his way in to card a five-under 67 and set a clubhouse lead of 17 under par – a super-human effort in such conditions, especially to not drop a shot.

Says Singh: “By the 13^th or 14^th hole it was suddenly nice and sunny but still a lot of wind. No rain. On the 16^th [a 337-yard par-four] I hit my driver onto the green. And that’s when I looked at the leaderboard, and said ‘man, I’m two short, I might as well eagle this so I can put a score on the board’. But what I do is three putt that hole to make par.”

On the 18^th, a majestic and mighty-long par-five measuring 607 yards, he put himself in perfect position to make a four – and really put the cat amongst the pigeons on the leaderboard – but he missed his 12 footer.

“I was interviewed after the round by the media and, like I said to Amritinder [Singh] my coach and Janet [Squire] my caddie, I thought I was going to be one or two short,” says Singh.

“And, I said I am going to go in the lounge, warm myself up, have a cup of tea and a piece of chocolate cake. And Janet went into the locker room to get my bag ready to pack up, but as I am sitting there in the lounge, with my tea and cake, the field came back and I suddenly find I am going in for a playoff!”

That unrelenting wind which had tested Singh so much also played havoc with the leaders – Scotland’s Marc Warren, Swede Alex Noren and Molinari – and he watched them, one by one, as they came up the 18^th trying, unsuccessfully, to overtake him.

Home-hero Warren had been well placed to secure a fantastic win in front of fiercely patriotic local support and after birdieing 10, 11 and 12 he had a three-shot lead. But he made a double on 15 and then two bogeys. He needed to birdie the last to match Singh but missed a 25 footer.

Said Warren later: “I might need a little help to get to sleep tonight.”

One down, two to go for Singh.

Noren was equally gutted minutes earlier as he had taken a bogey six at the last, where he agonizingly missed a three-foot par putt to draw level with the Indian gentleman sitting in the clubhouse enjoying his tea and cake.

And so it came down to Molinari requiring a closing birdie to win and emulate his brother Edoardo, winner of the title two years before.

But he left himself having to hole a par putt from nine feet to keep his title hopes alive, which he duly made.

“And then I go to the range,” says Singh.

“I hit 10 balls precisely, then straight onto the 18^th tee [for the play-off]. I hit a perfect drive down the left-hand side, and a perfect second shot with a three iron to lay up – there is a big swale there and I didn’t want to get into that, as I wouldn’t be able to see the flag so I kept it on the top layer. Then I hit a beautiful punched eight iron which I brought in with the wind to exactly 12 feet. And, I just said make sure you get this to the hole … I got it the hole, it was in the hole.”

The impressive birdie saw him claim the title and become the first Indian to win Scotland’s national Open.

“There was an amazing crowd there and the etiquette of the Scottish fans was amazing,” says Singh.

“It is one of the best wins of my career, it’s the home of golf [Scotland], that’s were golf started and winning the national championship there, coming from India were I never played links golf, in my life, and winning in those conditions, I was very proud of myself and felt really happy.”

In fact, it is arguably his finest win, but as he explains: “My best win would be the Scottish Open, but then there is also the Volvo Masters [in 2006]. It is a close match because both are very good tournaments to win, it is tough to decide which one is really better. Both were so good.”

The victory also secured him a place in the field for the following week’s Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes – where in only his second appearance at The Open he finished joint 69^th, a fine effort after the exertions of Castle Stuart.

The win was also Singh’s fourth victory on the European Tour and moved him ahead of Arjun Atwal [a three-time European Tour winner] making him the most successful Indian golfer in European Tour history – which is still the case today, along with S.S.P. Chawrasia.

And he earned a winner’s cheque for €518,045 (approx. US$585,126) – a significant sum although not as sizeable as his most lucrative win, which was the US$795,500 he received for claiming the 2008 Singapore Open – which virtually assured him of the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.

“I was playing well before the event but I could not get all four rounds together but that week I got everything together. At the end of the day, for every golfer, the most important thing is for the ‘belief system’ to kick in. I don’t know what happened that week but the believe system was so good,” says Singh.

Clearly, Singh’s win in Scotland was a dream come true for him and eight years on that memorable victory in the northernmost city of the United Kingdom is still very clear and present and still tastes as sweet as that clubhouse chocolate cake.

Zaw Moe, the Myanmar golfer who has made Singapore his home for nearly 30 years, turned 53 at the weekend. Simon Wilson caught up with the Asian and Japan Tour veteran to discuss the many highlights of his distinguished career.

When Zaw Moe launched one of his long, trademark drives – just over 290 yards – on Thai Country Club’s 17^th hole in the Asian Honda Classic, in February 1997, it brought rapturous applause from the huge gallery assembled there.

It was the kind of moment the young-man from Myanmar lived for, but this was a particularly exceptional occasion: it was the final round, the final pairing and, thrust into the global spotlight, he was playing with a rookie professional who was to shape the game of golf like no other: Tiger Woods.

The American, aged just 21, was playing in Thailand for the first time as a professional and having already claimed three PGA Tour titles, he arrived with much expectation, fanfare and at times uncontrollable excitement.

During an unprecedented week – the likes of which had never before been seen in Asia – Woods dominated from start to finish: he had a six-shot lead at the start of the day and won by 10! It proved to be a warning shot to the world as two months later he claimed the first of his five US Masters titles by 12 strokes!

However, on that penultimate hole at Thai Country Club just outside Bangkok, Woods did make a rare mistake when he pushed his tee shot into water on the right.

“I could see he was angry,” recalls Zaw.

“He told ‘Fluff’ (Mike Cowan) his caddie to give him another ball as he wanted to hit from the tee as opposed to taking a drop. He then drove 30 yards past me. Then, I hit five wood for my second to the green but he hit six iron.

“And on 18 I hit another great tee shot but he hit a two-iron as far as my driver. He was on a different level and I realized I was just a spectator as the round went on.”

With wildly enthusiastic crowds all around him, Zaw did well to record a top-20 finish.

While the result was not what he was looking for, it was another giant moment in the career of Zaw.

The tall golfer with a much-admired, silky-smooth swing is one of his nation’s finest sporting exports who boasts an outstanding record on both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organization – he played on the latter circuit with great success for nearly 10 years starting from 1996.

He has claimed 21 titles in the region including the 1997 Singapore Open at Jurong Country Club and early on in his career, he dominated the local Malaysian circuit claiming three Order of Merit titles.

Moe is part of the “Great Triumvirate” of pioneering golfers from Myanmar, along with Mya Aye and Kyi Hla Han.

Mya Aye was the first to make a mark for Myanmar in the 1970s and won six times in the region.

And Han, the country’s greatest golfer, followed not long after – finding a home for many of the region’s most prestigious trophies and becoming Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 1999.

All three are also past winners of the Singapore Open: Mya Aye claimed the title in 1981 and Han in 1994.

It is one of the Asian Tour’s most appealing and enduring qualities that, through its diversity, it has facilitated the emergence of elite players from countries that, perhaps, you would least expect.

Myanmar is one such nation that few would expect to contribute to Asia’s golfing landscape, but it most certainly has done and continues to do so.

Zaw turned professional in 1989 and it didn’t take long for him to find his feet in the game, despite facing the daunting prospect of heading on the road as a Touring professional, aged just 22, and with very limited resources.

“When I turned professional and first came out of Myanmar I only had US$700 in my pocket, plus one golf set and a suitcase,” said Zaw, who was born in Lashio – in Myanmar’s Shan State, where his father was the Chief Engineer.

“I was heading to stay with Chan Han (Kyi Hla Han’s brother) in Malaysia but could not get a visa so I had to stay in Bangkok for a month – where I spent US$200, so I was down to US$500.

“When I eventually got to Malaysia – where I planned to play on the domestic Malaysian circuit – I won about MYR1,300 in my first event in the Cameron Highlands. This was in December, 1989. Then, in my second event I finished third so I won about MYR1,700 and in my third event I lost in playoff so I won about MYR3,000. This was the ‘kick start’ to my career.”

With his confidence fortified by success in Malaysia he then chose to try his hand on the Asian Tour – which at that time was run by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation and local Golf Associations.

It was in the days before they had a Qualifying School and formal Tour membership, so players had to enter Monday qualifying rounds.

Said Zaw: “I spent all my money and went back to Malaysia to stay with Chan and make money on the Malaysian circuit again.”

Zaw won dozens of events on the TDC Tour of Malaysia and it wasn’t long before his game was at the level required to compete regularly on the Asian Tour.

Initially, he lived in Penang before his sponsor, Pan-West, kindly helped him set up in Singapore – where he has been living since the early 90s.

And it was there where he soon recorded the biggest victory of his career.

“Since 1995 I had been playing well but I couldn’t win, so when I arrived at the Singapore Open I felt I was due,” said Zaw.

At the start of the final round, he was four in front of an imposing chasing pack that included Thailand’s Boonchu Ruangkit. But he prevailed comfortably finishing the tournament on 11 under, after rounds of 67, 69, 69 and 72, to win by three from American Fran Quinn and earn a cheque for US$80,750.

Many more victories were expected to follow but, remarkably, Moe lost in seven play-offs during his career: three on the Asian Tour and four in Japan.

“If I go and play now, I think I would win more. I was trying to be too perfect back then. I would have won more tournaments if I had just accepted myself. I was looking for the one perfect swing,” said Zaw.

“I was very technical. I was looking for the perfect swing and this was one of the biggest mistakes in my life. Everyone, like Mardan (Mamat), told me, God gave you a good swing, why did you go and change it? At the end of the day you have to rely on your old swing and keep the basics. That’s all you have to do.”

His quest for excellence saw him regularly travel to the United States to see the best coaches in the world, including: Butch Harmon, David Leadbetter, Robert Baker and Phil Ritson.

Zaw acknowledges that his penchant for perfection is more of an attribute these days as much of his time is spent teaching at Singapore Island Country Club.

“It’s actually a good thing now because I can pass all my experience on to my students,” said Zaw, who also coached the Myanmar national team in 2011.

As well as a case of analysis paralysis Moe has also had more than a fair share of injuries.

He slipped a disc playing in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand in 2003, which required an operation.

“After that my game went down in 2005. I stopped moving my body and was just swinging my hands and arms which is no good. And I lost it all,” he said.

And, in 2007, he had a liver infection – relating to a bout of Hepatitis C he got when growing up in Myanmar – which put him out of action for 13 months.

In 2015, he damaged his right wrist severely playing out of the rough at an Asian Tour event in Chiang Mai. He had to rest for six months, and that’s when he got more involved in teaching.

And much more recently, he fell over while jogging in Bishan Park in 2018 and broke his left knee and right wrist. He had just earned his Tour card for the Japan Seniors Tour and was due to fly out.

“When I fell over I also passed out but luckily a passer-by helped me back on to my feet so I was able to get home. I could have played 20 events that year,” he said.

He was also due to play in Japan this year but the coronavirus pandemic put pay to that.

Zaw’s wife Yukiko is Japanese but he has not been able to see her for months as she was in Japan when lockdown took effect.

He has been spending his time getting fit and losing weight in preparation for when he can play tournaments again and he has a busy teaching schedule.

Over the years, one of his students has been Cho Minn Thant – the Asian Tour Commissioner and CEO.

Zaw knows Cho, who grew up in Canberra but is from Myanmar, very well as he has been coaching him since he was 15 years old.

“Actually, he can play. But he didn’t play enough. He had the game but he never went out and tried it. So he didn’t know what his potential was. He hits the ball so long these days,” said Zaw.

Zaw certainly made the leap of faith, never looked back and earned his place as one of the legends of Asian golf.

In that time, Sentosa Golf Club’s standing in the game globally has grown exponentially —buoyed by hosting other world-class events and being the recipient of countless awards.

This year, the majestic layout was due to undergo renovation work — allowing it to maintain its undoubted lead over its competitors.

But just as work started, everything came to a grinding halt in April when the nation was thrust into lockdown because of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

This, however, failed to affect the enthusiasm and energy of Andy Johnston — the General Manager and Director of Agronomy at Sentosa Golf Club — and the mastermind behind the successful growth and development of The Serapong and the venue’s second layout, The New Tanjong.

If anything, the pause in proceedings has steeled Johnston’s determination to make Serapong even greater.

“It’s going to be spectacular!” says Johnston, about plans for The Serapong when work restarts.

“As we know, this year has seen unprecedented circumstances that none of us could have predicted.  We’re in the midst of a global pandemic where there are much bigger issues at play, and the health and safety of the world’s population is the number one priority.

“This has been our attitude when it has come to the renovations – if there’s a slight delay, so be it, however we must, and have, take the safety of our workforce, members, guests and the population of Singapore very seriously.  Every industry and sector across the world has taken a hit with this situation and golf is no different.”

Andy Johnston, General Manager and Director of Agronomy at Sentosa Golf Club. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Lagardere Sports.

The upgrade of The Serapong was due to be a “three-month tactically planned operation”, which although delayed for the moment will quickly resume once the green light is given.

The operation, advanced and technical in true Sentosa fashion, is one that will further cement the course’s position in Golf Digest’s ‘Top 100 Greatest Golf Courses’ rankings — which moved up 20 places last year to reach 59^th. The Serapong and The New Tanjong are also ranked first and second respectively on Golf Digest’s ‘Best Golf Courses in Singapore’ rankings.

The greens, famous for their speed and expanse, will undergo deep soil modifications with a drill and fill programme; this means the historic playing surfaces will not be disturbed.

This programme will see them drill large one-inch holes in the greens, 12 inches deep — a dynamic process to update the soil profile. Two special drill and fill machines were purchased from America last year and shipped over for the assignment.

Says Johnston: “This process will allow us to update and re-engineer the soil profile without removing the grass.  The benefit will be a stronger, healthier surface that should be able to handle higher degrees of stress.  And we all know what that means: harder, faster surfaces.”

In addition, all the grass on the fairways, and the bunker and green surrounds will be removed and replaced with new, clean Zoysia. Platinum Paspalum will be used for the new tees.

The areas will also be regraded, which includes the tees being re-lasered flat and widened back out into their original size, pointing down the fairway.

In addition, all bunker faces and shapes will be regraded and the bunkers will be replaced with new sand.

Johnston’s mission will be helped by the fact that he was in charge the last time the layout was remodelled in 2006. The course, designed by Ronald Fream and opened in 1982, underwent a S$12 million revamp, and reopened in time for Australian superstar Adam Scott to win the second of his three Singapore Open titles.

At the time Johnston was part of the Bates Golf Design team — who had been engaged to handle the project — but the American returned to the club on a full-time basis in 2010 as Director of Agronomy before becoming General Manager in 2013.

In 2019, the club enjoyed a celebrated year in terms of awards and when the latest remodeling is completed, there is no doubt more honours await.

The club was chosen as the ‘World’s Best Golf Club’ at The World Golf Awards at a special ceremony in Dubai; voted by the players on the Asian Tour as the ‘Best Golf Course on Tour’; gained a position in Platinum Clubs’ ‘World Top 100’; won the Golf Inc. ‘Environmental Stewardship Award of the Year’; and also achieved further success at The Asian Golf Awards winning the ‘Best Managed’, ‘Best Maintained’, ‘Best Food and Beverage’ and ‘Best Championship Course in Asia’ titles to claim their Grand Slam of  awards.

The Asian Tour players also voted the SMBC Singapore Open the ‘Best Event on Tour’ for the second time in its history, following 2017.

The Awards — and the fact the club is home to the Asian Tour and the R&A, in Asia, headquarters — makes Johnston and his team feel “incredibly privileged”.

Says Johnston: “We are very proud of the team and our accomplishments, particularly in the last 12 months.  When reviewing all of the awards and accolades that have come in during that time, there are many we can be very proud about.”

Perhaps one of the greatest accolades came earlier this year when American Matt Kuchar won the SMBC Singapore Open in January. The world’s leading players regularly praise the golf club and its facilities but “Kuch” was positively ecstatic about The Serapong saying the greens were some of  “the best I have played on”.

“Not only were we proud to crown Matt Singapore Open Champion, but his vote of confidence was reassuring to us as we feel we belong amongst the world’s best and we are very proud to host the prestigious Asian Tour event.  That host venue status is an honour in its own right,” added Johnston.

SINGAPORE- Matt Kuchar of the USA pictured with the winner’s trophy on Sunday January 19,2020, during the final round of the SMBC Singapore Open at the Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore. The USD$ 1 million event is co- sanctioned with the Asian Tour and Japan Tour, January 16-19, 2020. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Lagardére Sports.

Of course work will proceed with pace on all areas at the club once conditions permit and Johnston is quick to point out that their sustainability and #Keepitgreen campaign are a priority.

They are investing in biodigesters for both food and horticultural waste.  The biodigesters will help convert the waste to plant food, which will then be spread back out onto the golf courses as fertiliser.  And they also have ambitious plans to install a floating solar farm in the lagoon, implement electric car charging stations and they are currently working to join Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and become certified.

Says Johnston: “So, there’s lots more to come and plenty to be excited about when it comes to our green agenda.  The sky is the limit really!”

He feels “that while it has been a real honour to have captured all of the accolades, in some ways it has become bigger than just Sentosa Golf Club or the golf course, as we are now representing the world of golf and our wonderful city.”

And while the world awaits to resume in the “new normal”, the American is prepared and looking forward to the challenges ahead.

“My role as General Manager and Director of Agronomy has not changed,” he says.

“The tremendous responsibility to take care of a property like this, and now even challenged more than ever with a reduced team, to use my time-earned intuitive skill to help stay ahead of what Mother Nature might send our way is a mission that is always never ending, and one I relish each and every day, when I am able to go to work every day to review and check on the grass and property. We just hope this all ends safely.”

On reaching the age of 50, which Korean icon K.J. Choi did last month (May 19), it is usual to take stock and reflect on your life achievements.

For Choi, one of the region’s golf greats and an honorary member of the Asian Tour, his performance statistics and the good deeds done by his Foundation tell the story of a dedicated professional and a committed humanitarian who has met his goals both on and off the course.

A quirk of fate that saw him switch from powerlifting to golf aged 16, a dog-eared copy of Jack Nicklaus’ instructional classic “Golf My Way”, a solitary golf club and an admirable work ethic combined to kick-start his glorious career.

Choi taught himself the game by leafing religiously through the pages of “Golf My Way” and putting into practice what the ‘Golden Bear’ preached. It was a slog on a course two hours by bus from his home with day-long sessions that stretched into months and years, culminating in Choi turning professional in 1994 aged 24.

He cut his competitive teeth on the Korean, Asian and Japan Tours. His won the 1996 Korean Open and after expanding his horizons beyond the Korean Tour won three times in 1999 – the Kirin Open and Ube Kosan Open (Japan Tour) and the Korean Open (Asian Tour), for a second time.

Choi became the first Korean to earn a card for the PGA Tour, via Q-School in 1999. Strikingly, Choi has played 468 tournaments on the circuit, won eight times, made 330 cuts and earned more than US$32.5 million.

Having hit his targets time and time again on the links, Choi has set himself a loftier challenge in society at large – ‘it is my life goal to help the children around me,’ he says.

To that end, his Foundation gives scholarships to less fortunate students to ensure they receive a college education.

Choi had planned to split his playing time between the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour from his base in the United States this year before the season was thrown into turmoil.

But Choi has not forgotten his roots and the opportunities afforded him by the Asian Tour as he improved his game to a level that marked him down as the ‘Asian player most likely to win a Major.’

On his frequent return visits to Asia, he has won several times including the Iskandar Johor Open in 2009 and the CJ Invitational in Korea back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.

Choi credits his time on the Asian Tour as the perfect proving ground for the PGA Tour.

“(My success) on the PGA Tour really stems from the years starting out in Korea, making my way gradually out into bigger arenas starting with the Asian Tour,” he said in a past interview.

“Definitely days competing on the Asian Tour really helped me a lot, I learned everywhere I went. All the tournaments I played I learned a lot and that was the foundation of my success (on the PGA Tour).”

A goal-setter, Choi adopted the mantra of “to be the best, you’ve got to play with the best” and mapped out a path which he hoped one day would result in him winning a Major.

He felt his best chance was probably the Masters and practiced hard to perfect the shots he felt were required around Augusta.

His dedication nearly paid huge dividends with three top-10 finishes at the Masters (his best finish coming in 2004 when he was third) and six overall in Majors.

That countryman Y.E. Yang took the honours as first Asian to win a Major, by pipping Tiger Woods at the US PGA Championship in 2009, detracts little from the huge enjoyment and sense of pride Choi gave to Asian golf fans throughout his career.

His success is even the more remarkable given that as a teenager Choi, a promising powerlifter, did not have the vaguest notion about the ancient game of golf.

The tale of how he came to learn about the sport and the lengths he took in honing his game is both inspiring and revealing.

His official biography on kjchoi.net tells it best.

“Choi was born as the oldest son with two younger brothers and one younger sister. Both of K.J.’s parents were farmers on a small island called Wando, in the southernmost part of Korea.

“While attending his local high school, K.J. joined the powerlifting team. When K.J. was only 13 years old he could squat 350 pounds (approximately 159 kilograms), a feat for which he was later given the nickname ‘Tank’ by fellow South Koreans.

“One day when K.J. was 16, the powerlifting coach told the team to separate into two lines. One line would continue to practice powerlifting, and the other would begin to practice a sport called golf. Nobody in that golf line knew what golf was, including K.J., so he slyly left the golf line, thinking he had outsmarted his destiny and went back into the powerlifting line.

“Luckily the coach saw him change lines and demanded that he play golf. The coach gave K.J. a single golf club and a book written by Jack Nicklaus called ‘Golf My Way’. From that day on, ‘Golf My Way’ became K.J.’s holy grail, and he taught himself how to play golf.

“K.J. lived more than two hours from the nearest golf course, so he would wake up at 5 a.m. every morning and take the bus to the golf course and practice. K.J. would practice religiously until it got dark.

“Most of the people in K.J.’s community didn’t know what golf was and tried to convince his parents to make K.J. quit. People thought K.J. was wasting his time, yet after six years of practice and two years serving in the military, K.J. became a professional golfer.”

The rest, as they say, is golfing history.

Since turning 50 last month, K.J. Choi has experienced two big moments in his family life.

His daughter Amanda, 18, had a drive-in graduation ceremony from Westlake Academy in Texas and his 23-year-old son David joined the Republic of Korea Marine Corps for his military service.

Choi said of his daughter: “We are so excited to see her proceed through life with passion and courage.”

And as his son left for Korea Republic, Choi commented: “David, you will always be in my heart. Miss you.”