Korea’s Choi Underperforms at Memorial

K.J. Choi might miss the cut in three straight events. Choi participated in the first round of the Memorial Tournament at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, yesterday.

Last year’s Memorial champion Choi made two birdies and six bogeys, ranking 78th with a 5-over 76, trailing Australia’s first-round winner Mathew Goggin with a 7-under 65 by 11 strokes.

After missing the cut in the previous two games, Choi has failed to reduce his strokes to less than 69 for 10 consecutive rounds since the third round of the Houston Open in April. He putted 31 balls and 57 percent of them settled in the fairway and only 50 percent hit the green for the day.

After losing three strokes before leaving the fourth hole, Choi seemed to begin reviving with two birdies at the fifth and seventh holes, but made three straight bogeys at the ninth, 10th and 11th holes. Phil Mickelson, who has been considered a potential winner, finished on even-par 72, tying for 36th place.

kjs0123@donga.com