Tank Choi’s Glass Is Always Half Full

The microphone matched his thick hands well. His lyrics with a thick southern accent were charming.

“Tank” Choi Kyoung-ju (37, Nike Golf) sang his favorite song, Nam Jin’s ‘Empty Glass,’ with a very serious air last weekend at a party organized by his acquaintances in a restaurant in Gangnam celebrating the launch of the Choi Kyoung-ju Foundation.

“Your cold eyes welled up. Fill up my empty glass,” he drawled.

When he was asked, “Is your empty glass always filled later,” Choi answered, “Glasses must remain empty. We must empty our glasses for yet another filling and try hard to do so.”

Choi brought up the notion of ‘coiled spring’ in this context. “Coiled springs are extended, but only have their meaning of existence by returning back to the initial shape. I wish to be such a man.”

Choi won 2 championships in the PGA tour this year and was ranked 5th in overall prize money with a total of $4,581,589. This was his best season since 1999, when he first entered the American tour. He is currently being bombarded with book offers and drama production offers.

But Choi says, “I am courteously declining, for it is not yet time.” He added, “My autobiography draft has recently been completed, and I expect it to come out early next year.”

He also hinted at the solitude of playing on the American tour on his own.

“It’s like a single weed sprouting on bare ground. I hope some Koreans will join me in the tour and chat with me.”

Choi is aiming for a major tournament victory and said Augusta National Golf Course is his favorite course. Augusta is where the Masters is hosted.

“The winner of the Masters can choose the dinner menu as the champion. If I win, I will choose fermented soybean paste soup and bulgogi (barbecued beef) as dinner. I thought about choosing a stronger soup (Chunggugjang), but I was afraid the other players would not even enter the dinner hall because of the smell,” he joked.

kjs0123@donga.com