Heartbreak finish for halfway leader
K J Choi - an 8 at the 18th drops him
from joint fourth to tied 16th

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOUR
SouthKorea’s K.J. Choi was heartbroken after his calamitious finish to the Open but insisted he was closer in his dream of delivering Asia’s first major.
The world number 11 was only two shots off the pace when he started the final round at Royal Birkdale but a luckless front nine where he dropped six bogeys, including five in succession, dashed his title hopes.
Choi, a graduate of the Asian Tour, carded a nine-over-par 79, which included a quadruple bogey 8 at the 18th - he played three balls off the tee and had to take a penalty drop away from the out of bounds fence on the right - which dropped him from tied fourth into a share of 16th position on 13-over-par 293.
While disappointed that his challenge was blown off course on yet another wind-swept day, the US-based Choi believes that he will lift one of golf’s major prizes in the near future.
“What I gained from this week is that I’m closer towards my goal of winning a major. It was a very good experience, it’s not very far away,” said Choi.
A bogey on the first hole, where he missed a putt from three feet, was the start of his early struggles. The 37-year-old dropped five bogeys in a row from the fourth and another on 11.
He rallied briefly with birdies on 16 and 17 before ending the day in disastrous fashion when he ran up an eight after sending his first tee shot out of bounds and then taking an unplayable lie off his third shot.
“I didn’t have any feel with my putting this weekend. In the windy conditions, I lost my feel. I’m happy but not the last hole where I made double par. My putting stroke was different than the first two rounds,” Choi lamented.
“I feel my game (on links courses) has improved this week and it was a good experience,” said Choi.
The South Korean, who was the halfway leader, set himself a target of shooting a level par round before heading off in the second last pairing of the final day. But it wasn’t to be.
“Level par would have won it for me. I tried to set this goal but I missed a short three feet putt for bogey on the first and then missed another two feet putt on the fourth and three putted the fifth. I couldn’t make the putts.
“I’ll look forward to the US PGA Championship (next month) now,” said Choi.