[Golf] Swine Flu Drives Korean Golfers From Mexico

“I just wanted to leave as soon as possible because I was worried.”

Golfer Choi Na-yeon rushed to her hotel yesterday after finishing third in the LPGA Corona Championship in Morelia, Mexico.

Battling eventual winner Lorena Ochoa in the final round, Choi bypassed fans who wanted her autograph and to shake her hand after hearing of the swine flu outbreak in Mexico that killed more than 80 people.

Morelia is more than 300 kilometers away from Mexico City, the hardest-hit region, but this did little to assuage Choi`s fears over infection.

Thirty other Korean golfers at the tournament tried to get flights out of Mexico as soon as possible. Choi was scheduled to fly to Miami Sunday afternoon but took an earlier flight to Houston in the morning.

Ochoa claimed her second title in the event with a combined score of 25-under-267 and the strong support of her fans in her home country.

kjs0123@donga.com