K.J. Choi captured the first major of his career after securing a two-stroke victory at The Senior Open Championship on Sunday in Carnoustie, Scotland.
Choi, 54, finished with a 2-under-par 70 on the final round and ended up with a total of 10-under 278 at Carnoustie Golf Links. Sunday’s triumph was the South Korean’s first on the PGA Tour Champions since the 2021 PURE Insurance Championship.
“I really want it, champion, because my dream come true,” Choi said. “For player from Korea, (we always watched The Open) on TV.”
He recovered from three bogeys over his first six holes by making four birdies over a five-hole stretch (Nos. 9, 10, 12, 13). Choi them rolled in a long putt for an eagle on the par-5 14th.
“I’m hitting No. 9, second shot, 215, 5-iron, is inside 10 feet. I make birdie,” Choi said. “After that, 10, 12, 14, birdie, eagle 14 is big, big momentum.”
Choi entered the final round with a one-stroke lead over Australian Richard Green, who was bidding for his first major on the Champions Tour.
Green shot a 71 on Sunday to finish in second place at 8 under. He shot even-par on the front nine before recording four birdies against three bogeys on the back nine.
Green ended up two strokes ahead of England’s Paul Broadhurst (70 on Sunday), who won the tournament in 2016 at Carnoustie.
“A little bit tentative, leaving everything a foot and a half short,” Broadhurst said. “I had a bit of a run at it on 12 and hit it six feet by and made it coming back.
“Obviously K.J. has played really well around the back. I don’t know what happened, but he went from nowhere to four clear. He’s obviously killed it somewhere around the mid part of the round. So great stuff to him. He’s played really well.”
Canadian Stephen Ames, the first-round leader, carded a 71 to reside in fourth place at 3 under, one stroke ahead of a seven-golfer contingent for fifth place.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, who was included in that mix, had finished second at the event in each of the past two years. He overcame a disastrous start to the final round — a triple bogey and a double bogey on the first two holes — before making a spirited rally to finish with a 72 on Sunday.
“Yeah, look, that’s what happens in this game,” Harrington said. “I knew I had to push today. I think even after that, the couple of eagle chances, I had three good eagle chances there. I could have slipped a few more putts in. But the good news for me is K.J. has run away with it, which is a nice thing. I would hate to be finishing up today and 6-under par, 7-under par was winning; it was would have been a disappointing day.”
–Field Level Media
