3 Korean Golfers Finish in Top 10 at Masters

A record six ethnic Korean golfers were among the 98 who competed in the 74th Masters.

Four of the six were professionals – K.J. Choi, 40, Y.E. Yang, 38, Anthony Kim, 25, and Kevin Na, 27. The remaining two were amateurs Ahn Byung-hoon, 19, and Han Chang-wan, 19.

Choi, Yang and Kim proudly finished in the top 10, giving hope that a Korean golfer will wear the green jacket before long.

Shining the brightest among Korean golfers at Augusta, Georgia, was Choi, who is nicknamed “Tank.” Throughout the four-day competition, Choi played together with Tiger Woods, who returned to action after a five-month hiatus. Amid heavier media attention, Choi continued to shoot under par every day and tied for fourth with Woods at 11 under-277.

Choi ranked third at the start of the final round. He tied for first on the 12th hole, raising expectations that he could become the first Korean to win the Masters. He suffered a setback on the 13th, the final hole at the Amen corner (11th to 13th holes).

He hit his second shot aiming for a two-on on the par-five hole, only to find the ball in a bunker. He then barely managed to hit a three-on. After missing a birdie and a par putt in succession, he again bogeyed on the 14th (par four) to fall behind the pack of top contenders. Choi said, “I’m satisfied with finishing in the top 10 list amid the immense mental pressure of playing with Woods. I’ve gained confidence to play well under any circumstance in the future.”

Kim showed stellar clutch play. He recorded 65 pars, a course record for this year’s Masters, to finish third at 12 under-276. PGA.com said, “Sooner or later, Anthony Kim will clinch a major PGA tournament title.” The Associated Press said, “Anthony Kim showed astonishing talent in this year’s Masters event.”

Yang, who won the PGA Championship last year, shot a seven under-281 to tie for eighth.

uni@donga.com