IN-FORM KOREAN COULD MAKE MAJOR
BREAKTHROUGH AT CARNOUSTIE
AFTER SECOND US TOUR VICTORY

K.J. Choi captured the biggest victory of his career on Sunday by winning the inaugural AT&T National at the Congressional Country Club, Bethseda in Maryland. It was the second time in five weeks the South Korean star had won a tournament hosted by a legend.
Five weeks after winning Jack Nicklaus' signature Memorial event, Choi took the first US PGA Tour event hosted by Tiger Woods and boosted his belief that he can become Asia's first major champion with the Open at Carnoustie just two weeks away.
"This tournament is really too big for me to absorb right now," Choi said. "It's definitely the biggest win of my career. It's just unbelievable. I feel great right now. It gives me so much more confidence."
Choi's best major finish was third at the 2004 Masters, the same year he managed his best Open finish with a share of 16th at Royal Troon. He missed the US Open cut last month and shared 27th at the Masters last April.
FIRST ASIAN TO WIN A MAJOR DREAM
"My life's dream is to become the first Asian to win a major," Choi said. "I'm going to work very hard at it."
Choi chipped in for birdie from a greenside bunker at the 17th hole to seal the victory, firing a final-round two-under par 68 to finish on nine-under 271 and defeat US veteran Steve Stricker by three strokes.
"I'm just shocked at myself being able to win Jack's and Tiger's tournaments. I can't really express in words what this means to me," Choi said.
"Both wins are very special to me. I can't really say which one makes me feel better. They're both valuable. Winning both events tells me I have a lot of respect from both players. I feel very honored to win their tournaments."
Choi, 37, gives Woods' event a hefty edge in one area, however.
"I can say Tiger's trophy is a lot heavier than Jack's," Choi said.
The triumph was Choi's sixth career US PGA title and makes this his first season since 2002 with multiple US tour victories.
Choi won a $1.08-million top prize, the same as at the Memorial, in the six million-dollar event at Congressional Country Club, where more than 37000 people watched in high heat and humidity both Saturday and Sunday.
"It's definitely something that brings happiness to Koreans, North and South," Choi said. "It's a meaningful win."
Australian Stuart Appleby, trying for a wire-to-wire win, fired a 76 to share third with Americans Jim Furyk and Pat Perez on 277 with Woods and Aussie Robert Allenby another stroke back.
AUSTIN NOT COMING TO CARNOUSTIE
Americans Woody Austin, Hunter Mahan and Pat Perez qualified for the Open based on their results, although Austin said he will not go to Carnoustie.
Stricker and Choi reached the back nine tied for the lead and four strokes clear of the field but both stumbled. Choi began the back nine with a pair of bogeys and gave back his birdie at 12 with a bogey on the next hole.
But Stricker made bogeys at 11, 14 and 15 while Choi birdied the par-4 15th and sank the crucial birdie bunker blast on 17, following it with a Tiger-like fist pump.
"It's just a gesture that came naturally with all the fans cheering," Choi said.
"All this week I had a good feel on my bunker shots. I wasn't trying to put it in the hole. All I was trying to do was save par. I put the ball where I wanted and I guess the speed and undulation was right. It surprised me."
Stricker has not won since the 2001 World Golf Championships Match-Play and has not won a stroke-play event since the 1996 Western Open. He also finished second in May at Charlotte, losing to Woods.
"It was a great experience again but not really what I was looking for," Stricker said. "I can gain some confidence from the event and maybe one of these times finish it off.
"This kind of stings. It's not a great feeling but you can still take a lot of positives from it. It's a tough enough game without beating yourself up over finishing second."
Stricker was in the 18th fairway when Choi made the decisive chip-in.
"Stuff like that happens when you're going to win. It's destiny. Good for him. He must have played well," Stricker said. "It's up to me to make the birdies on the back nine and I just haven't gotten over the hump."
Appleby's dream of a ninth US PGA title vanished almost as quickly as he did after horror-show putting in the final round. He took a double bogey at the second and made four bogeys in a row starting at the fourth plus another at 18.
"It was unfortunate to see him struggling," playing partner Choi said. "I know how it feels. I've been in that position too."
Woods made bogeys at the fourth and seventh holes, sinking a 12-footer on the latter to avoid a double. He bounced back with a birdie at the eighth but made a double bogey at the par-5 ninth to take himself out of the hunt.
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FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4 x 70).
Players from US unless stated
271 KJ Choi (Kor) 66 67 70 68
274 Steve Stricker 67 70 67 70
277 Pat Perez 71 70 69 67, Jim Furyk 66 74 68 69, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 66 67 68 76
278 Tiger Woods 73 66 69 70, Robert Allenby (Aus) 70 71 69 68
279 Hunter Mahan 70 74 70 65, Mike Weir (Can) 72 66 67 74, Brandt Snedeker 69 72 70 68, Rocco Mediate 75 68 70 66
280 Vijay Singh (Fij) 66 71 73 70, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 73 69 67 71, Lucas Glover 71 69 66 74, Jeff Quinney 67 75 69 69, Boo Weekley 70 72 67 71, Craig Kanada 69 67 74 70
Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 69 75 68 68
281 Billy Andrade 68 68 73 72, Charley Hoffman 71 69 67 74, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 70 70 69 72, Chris Riley 70 71 70 70, Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn) 72 70 65 74, Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 70 68 73 70
282 Anthony Kim 71 69 69 73, Justin Leonard 73 70 71 68, Sean O'Hair 71 70 73 68, Corey Pavin 67 73 75 67, Ryan Moore 74 70 66 72
283 Brian Davis (Eng) 69 70 70 74, Kent Jones 71 70 70 72, Robert Garrigus 69 67 73 74, Brian Gay 71 70 69 73, Stephen Leaney (Aus) 71 71 70 71, Justin Rose (Eng) 69 69 70 75, Bill Haas 69 72 71 71, Olin Browne 70 73 70 70, Briny Baird 70 73 68 72, D.J. Trahan 71 72 71 69
284 Kevin Stadler 69 70 69 76, Brett Quigley 72 70 70 72, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 68 69 76 71, Chris DiMarco 72 72 70 70, John Senden (Aus) 70 74 73 67
285 Charles Warren 68 73 68 76, Jerry Kelly 71 68 73 73, Arron Oberholser 74 68 69 74, Joe Ogilvie 66 77 72 70, Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 71 72 68 74, Cliff Kresge 69 70 70 76, Jamie Lovemark 67 74 73 71, Rich Beem 67 77 70 71, Frank Lickliter II 71 72 72 70
286 Tim Herron 71 73 72 70, Billy Mayfair 72 71 71 72, Michael Putnam 69 75 75 67, Peter Lonard (Aus) 75 69 70 72, Will MacKenzie 72 70 75 69, Notah Begay III 73 70 71 72, Craig Barlow 70 74 69 73, Bo Van Pelt 70 71 72 73
287 Chris Couch 68 72 77 70, Greg Owen (Eng) 67 74 75 71, Fred Funk 67 77 74 69, Mark Wilson 71 72 72 72
289 Jason Bohn 73 69 71 76, Tommy Armour III 70 72 74 73, Jason Gore 71 73 73 72
290 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 74 69 68 79, Joe Durant 73 71 71 75, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 73 71 78 68
291 Vaughn Taylor 72 68 78 73
292 Todd Hamilton 69 70 77 76
293 Brad Faxon 69 74 73 77

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