Victory Depends on 7,8,9 Iron Shot

`Tank` Choi Gyong-ju (Superior, Tailor maid) recorded remarkable score this year. As the first player among Orients, he won U.S PGA two times in one season and is ranked 17th grade (220 million dollars) in prize list as well as has acquired right of participation in four major games next year.

He can rest since he achieved this much, but he is still busy winter training at Jackson bill, Florida. Why. He wants to `hit iron shot of no.7, 8,9 into birdie distance and direction.`

Wedge shot that Choi Gyong-ju showed in 2002EMC world cup golf match, which finished on the last 15th, was similar to Tiger Woods (U.S). He was confident as if he can put it hole cup within 100 yard till pin.

However, he confessed in an interview after the match, “I didn`t play to my full potential in U.S PGA tour. Iron shot in no.7, 8,9 is still insufficient.”

The player whom Choi Gyong-ju praises the most is Vijay Singh (Fiji).

“Singh`s No.7~9 iron shot is fantastic. He hits exactly the pin and drops advantageous position for putting.”

If we look into the record of U.S PGA this year, Choi Gyong-ju is right.

Singh`s accuracy in driver shot is only 96th grade. However, he ranks the second grade in average hit and the third grade in prize. His driver shot reaches fair way always and though he misses fair way, his marvelous iron shot is great.

`King of golf` Tiger Woods is like Singh, too. Accuracy of his driver shot is 107th grade, but he reached the top in average hit as well as prize ranking.

The reason how Woods and Singh who are only `middle level` in driver shot accuracy is because their iron shot accuracy is the 1st and 7th grade respectively.

On the contrary, John Delly ranked the top in driver shot for 12 years successively, however, his accuracy was the lowest and accuracy of iron shots were remarkably lower than Woods and Singh, so he was out of 100 grade in average hit as well as prize ranking.

Choi Gyong-ju who finished the third season in U.S successfully has surprisingly improved in three parts this year.

At first, he can use driver, as much as he want as he is not afraid of narrow fair way. And he learned accurate wedge shot that can control back spin. The third part is that, he has improved petting skill with it, he can hit above 7 under par per day in U.S green, in which each field has different characteristics. However, he falls short in middle iron accuracy.

Choi Gyong-ju said, “If I can`t use 7,8,9 iron like wedge, winning major matches is impossible. I have realized it deeply for three years.”

Is it exaggeration that Choi Gyong-ju will take half of major match titles, when he is confident of middle iron?

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com