Checking his scorecard with God

Professional golfer Choi Kyoung-ju, talking about golf and life. [JoongAng Ilbo]

ro golfer Choi Kyoung-ju says he would rather move up the ladder one rung at a time than be consumed by desire. For Choi, also known as K.J., freedom from worry about his next shots helps him through the final rounds on the course.
“I like the ‘principle of stairs.’ I climb and fall one step at a time,” he said.
Choi finished eighth at the British Open Championship and the JoongAng Ilbo caught up with him in Japan, where he recently attended a church event.
“I am satisfied with the tournament results,” he said. “I won two important tournaments recently, and if I had won the British Open, a major event, I would have climbed many steps at once.”
Choi won the Memorial Tournament in June and the AT&T National in early July.
“In one’s life, it is possible to ascend too many steps at once. If so, one can then fall 10 steps at a time because of conceit,” Choi said.
“Players should stand by their principles. This is something I want to pass onto younger players. It’s important to be humble. ”
Q.Tell us about how you were treated when you began playing in PGA tournaments in 1999.
A.Until just a few years ago, some fellow PGA players did not return my greetings, but now things are different. No one can ignore me.
Tiger Woods and I always say hello when we make eye contact. During practice rounds, we take off our hats and acknowledge each other. Because I am older, he sometimes bows to me in a joking way.

How do you address each other?
Tiger calls me K.J. I call him Tiger or T.G. Someday, if I host a tournament in Korea, I’d like to invite him.
There are over 200 PGA players. Between 2002 and 2007, only six players including Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson won more than six times. I am also one of them. In PGA history, I’m ranked somewhere between Nos. 20 and 25, so they acknowledge me.

Don’t you feel tired? You came to Japan right after the championship.
Schedules are always tight. I have to go to the United States again. I’m playing in the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio. Physical fatigue is not a problem, but mental fatigue is. To recuperate, I always attend church services, even when schedules are tight.

How does religious faith help with your play?
It helps me control my mind. Tensions mount when I get closer to final rounds. With religion, I don't feel as anxious.

Describe the way you play.
It’s simple. After hitting the first shot, I walk to the fairway. What I do between the first and second shots shapes my game. Inexperienced players have all kinds of thoughts between the first two shots, which is why they fail. When tensions run high, they need to step back.

What do you do instead?
I don’t think about golf. I finish thinking about playing the course before the game starts. Thinking about strategy during the game consumes too much energy. Instead, I remember passages from the Bible. If I can’t remember some verses, I write them down. People often think I am reading a scorecard but I’m actually reading Bible verses.

Can you give us examples of some favorite passages?
“Strengthen your mind and be brave. Do not fear. I will be with you.” When I first came to the United States and couldn’t understand English, these verses consoled me. Another good one is “Go. I will do everything.” Since then, I’ve tried to speak as best as I can [during interviews] rather than worrying about grammar. The foreign media understand and just rephrase quotes.

How much tension do you feel in final rounds?
My muscles become stiff. My waist can’t even turn in the backswing. When I play golf, even a change of .1 millimeter in my posture affects my play. My ball doesn’t go as far as it used to. That’s tension.

How do you react?
Look at those who win. People who have won in the past win again. They understand how their bodies move when tension builds up. Of all people, golfers should especially know that. Then they can eliminate their worries about the next shot.

By Baik Sung-ho JoongAng Ilbo [jbiz91@joongang.co.kr]