9 Things You Didn't Know About KJ Choi

9 Things You Didn't Know About KJ Choi

1. Choi was born in Wando, South Korea

2. He turned pro in 1994.

3. His interest in golf grew after one of his high school teachers recommended he try the sport. He then began studying Jack Nicklaus lesson books and videos and spent long hours hitting practice balls on his island home's only practice range. 

4. Grew up the son of a farmer/fisherman and as a teenage powerlifter earned the nickname "Tank" because he could squat 350 pounds although he weighed a mere 95 pounds. He didn't have the upper-body strength to pursue that sport, so he turned to golf, at age 16.

5. He became the first Korean to earn a PGA Tour card.

6. The KJ in his name stands for Kyoung-Ju.

7. Choi won eight times on the PGA Tour, including some huge events like the 2007 Memorial Tournament, and 2011 Players Championship.

8. Choi played the role of professional golfer T.K. Oh in the movie Seven Days in Utopia. Other players to star in the movie were Rickie Fowler, Stewart Cink and Rich Beem.

9. Choi has done a lot of charity work and often gave huge sums to charities after playing well. For example, following his win at the 2011 Players Championship, he donated $200,000 to help victims of the tornadoes that ravaged the southeastern United States in April of that year. 

Through the K.J. Choi Foundation he then donated his $100,000 winnings from the 2013 ISPS Handa World Cup to help with the Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in the Philippines. The funds were used to provide relief supplies to the areas worst hit by the typhoon.