Choi claims Players title for 1st PGA win since 2008

He was human. His eyes were wet. He could not hold back his emotions after claiming victory.

K.J. Choi, 41, of SK Telecom has returned to prominence. The first Korean to join the PGA in 2000, he became the first Asian Sunday to win the PGA Players Championship, which is nicknamed the "fifth major."

Choi beat David Toms, 44, of the U.S. in the first hole of a playoff after both men were tied in the 72-hole match at 13-under at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Choi`s victory was his first since the 2008 Sony Open in Hawaii and he won 1.71 million U.S. dollars in prize money, the highest in the event, and his eighth career PGA victory. His money rank jumped from 33rd to third.

He sobbingly said, “I got the trophy that I used to see on TV in Korea. My dream has come true.”

Earlier this year, Choi confidently said, “If you get No. 8 (eight victories), it’s just a matter of time before getting nine or 10.”

kjs0123@donga.com