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Woods, “Yellow Blast Is Not by Luck”

Posted May. 15, 2002 09:11,   

한국어

Would `Golf King` have different eyes than others?

As Asian players dominated over the U.S. PGA tours for 2 weeks in a row, local press made a fuss with great interest that `yellow storm is coming across the Pacific`. How would Tiger Woods (U.S.A.) have reacted about Choi Kyeong-Ju (Superior) and Maruyama Shigeki (Japan)’s recent `title relay`, which was even expressed as `Asian Invasion` on newspaper.

Woods, who also has Asian blood in him for his mother is a Thai, suddenly said that “Asian players’ good performance is not by luck”, on the day of Maruyama’s victory at the Byron Nelson Classic. His point was that because Asia has many good players, those who come to the U.S. field are capable of victory. Woods’ evaluation over the Asian golf sounds more persuasive than any other person, as he participates in Asian tours almost every year.

He explains that the players who make it to the U.S. field, which is often compared to `camel going through an eye of a needle`, have no virtual difference in talents, and that anybody may claim title.

As Woods has said, `heaven and hell` in PGA tours do not seem very far away. Choi Kyeong-Ju suffered cut-off exclusion at the Byron Nelson Classic, despite his recent victory in the Compaq Classic last week.

On the other hand, Maruyama was cut off from the game that Choi won, but soon claimed the next tournament’s title.

As Choi watched Maruyama’s victory on TV, he said, “It has been another stimulation for me, and I look forward to good competition.”

Choi and Maruyama, who entered the U.S. field in 2000 together establishing themselves as two great Asian golfers in only 2 years, are to compete in the Master Card Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, on the 16th. Although Woods will be absent from the tournament, which offers 4.3 million dollars for total prizes, the two Asian golfers might bring `Asian blast` once again.



Jong-Seok Kim kjs0123@donga.com