Golfer Just Had to Watch Team Korea

A “football freak” refers to a person who stays all night long watching football matches held in Europe, the U.S. or others that have different time zones from Korea’s. Passing a sleepless night, a football freak is likely to fall into a doze at school or in office during the day with blood-shot eyes.

Choi Kyung-ju (37, Nike Golf), the pillar of Korean golf, has also been one of such football freaks.

A substitute defense player in elementary school football team-

Back in 2002—during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup—Choi Kyung-ju was having a busy time participating in the tight-scheduled U.S. Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour; at night, however, he barely slept to watch brilliant achievements of the Korean national squad back in his home country.

Especially on June 18, when the round of 16 between Korea and Italy was held, Choi was a few days before the third round of a major tournament, the U.S. Open. Watching the game on television at dawn (U.S. local time), he suffered an aftermath of making seven bogeys in the third round of the U.S. Open and saw his ranking sliding from the joint 13th place to the joint 30th place.

“My own important match was also just around the corner, but I could not sleep wondering about the game. Anyway, I felt so happy that Korea won the match.”

Nicknamed the “Tank of the Field,” Choi Kyung-ju had once been a football player at the Hwaheung Elementary School in Wando, South Jeolla Province. After playing ssireum (Korean wrestling) and javelin throwing, he became a football player in the sixth grade when a teacher encouraged him to.

“I was a defender, but I was only a substitute player, not a starter. I only played when someone was sick, but I really had fun.”

Choi’s favorite player: Park Ji-sung-

Going on to the Wando Middle School, Choi became a weight lifter as there was no football team at his school; he was a freshman at the Wando Fisheries High School when he began playing golf.

Choi Kyung-ju said his favorite player in the 2006 national football squad is Park Ji-sung. He thought highly of Park for being the first Korean to play in the Premier League of England, just like him making it to the U.S. PGA Tour for the first time as a Korean.

Choi Kyung-ju became a top player despite unfavorable circumstances thanks to his extraordinary fighting spirit and strong commitment. This year, he is making more strenuous efforts in the PGA Tour; feeling that he is representing Korea there, he even engraved the Korean national flag on his caddy bag and golf shoes.

This is why he hopes Korea will play great games and achieve the best result in the 2006 World Cup in Germany as well.

“This World Cup will be different from the one held at home four years ago, but we should try hard and make it at least to the semifinals. I guess players should never feel burdened but keep shooting, looking at the goalpost. Go, Korean national football team!”

It seemed that Choi Kyung-ju is already feeling excited, looking forward to shouting “Dae-han-min-guk!” though he will be far away from home.

Jong-Seok Kim kjs0123@donga.com