KJ Choi hit a career milestone after winning by two strokes at the Senior Open Championship on Sunday in Carnoustie, Scotland.
Choi, 54, finished with a 2-under-par 70 in the final round and finished with a 10-under-par 278 at Carnoustie Golf Links. Sunday’s victory was the first since the 2021 PURE Insurance Championship.
Choi rolled in a long eagle putt on the 5th 14th to highlight her day. He also had four birdies to reduce four bogeys.
“I prayed all week,” said Choi, who became the first South Korean to win a major. “In any case I started to panic a lot, and some speed was reduced, which was the difference … I kept my attention and prayed. I felt more comfortable in the turns.”
Choi entered the final round with a one-stroke lead over Australia’s Richard Green, who was seeking his first major on the Champions Tour.
Green shot a 71 on Sunday to finish second at 8-under. He shot for par on the front nine before recording four birdies against three bogeys on the back nine.
Green finished two strokes ahead of England’s Paul Broadhurst (70 on Sunday), who won the tournament in 2016 at Carnoustie.
“Trying a little, leaves everything short and half,” said Broadhurst. “I ran to it at 12 and hit it by six meters and then came back.
“Obviously KJ played really well in the back. I don’t know what happened, but he went from one to four clearly. He obviously killed it somewhere in the middle of the round. Great stuff from him. He was really. well played.”
Canadian Stephen Ames, the first-round leader, carded a 71 to sit in fourth place at 3-under, one stroke ahead of the seven golfers in fifth place.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, who was included in the mix, had finished second in the event in the previous two years. He overcame a disastrous start to the final round — a triple bogey and a double bogey on the first two holes — and rallied with spirit 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, a couple of eagle opportunities, I had three eagle opportunities there. I could have made a couple of putts. But the good news for me is that KJ ran away with it, which is a good thing I would hate to end today and he -6-under 7-under par would have been a disappointing day.
Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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