Compassionate Tank
Choi Kyung-ju (37, Nike Golf), the golfer known as Tank, left for the Lake Side Country Club for the 23rd Shinhan Donghae Open Golf Championships after a press conference held yesterday morning at the Lotte Hotel, Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. He had to hurry to meet another golfer with a hearing disability, Lee Seung-mann (27, Taylor Made), to practice at the clubs South Course (par 72, 7544 yard), where they will compete later.
Since the SK Telecom Open in May last year, Choi met Lee at the clubhouse and, Congratulations on your first win this year! Later they had lunch together. When Lee won at the Asia Tour Championships in June, Choi sent a congratulatory message via e-mail.
Choi is Lees mentor. When Lee lost miserably in the championships in the U.S. in 2003, Choi gave him 20,000 dollars and said, Why dont you start on the Asian Tour first? Since then, Choi has been Lees mentor and sponsor.
They studied the course together and will be in the same group for the first and second rounds along with formidable rookie Kim Gyeong-tae in the competition that will open tomorrow. Choi reportedly asked the organizer to be in the same group as Lee.
It will be the fourth competition in a row (Singapore Open, HSBC Champions, Hong Kong Open) that these two will be playing together. Lee must feel reassured that he is paired to play with Choi.
Jim Furick, who is ranked the 3rd in the world and has a famous eight-shaped swing, will also participate along with the others. Furick, who has won 13 PGA events, said, I rank not even in the 100th in the world in terms of driving distance, but my shots are very accurate. I want to have a good time with Choi.
National golf stars, including Kim Gyeong-tae and Kang Gyeong-nam (Samwha Savings Bank)--the Korean tours top prize money earner last year--are expected to engage in a fierce battle for the event purse off 150 million won for the champion and 550 million won for the rest.
kjs0123@donga.com
About Dong-A Ilbo