South Korean Chella Choi’s first LPGA Tour win likely to mean her father loses his job
Chella Choi parred the first play-off hole to defeat fellow South Korean Jang Ha-na on Sunday for her first US LPGA Tour title at the Marathon Classic that is likely send her father into retirement.
Choi forced the play-off with overnight leader Jang with a five-under par 66 that included five birdies without a bogey.
“The first time win is hard, but the second and third is easier. Hopefully this is a turning point for me,” said Choi.
I wanted to work with my father for my first win. So my father worked with me until now
Choi’s father has caddied for her since she joined the LPGA Tour seven years ago. He had said he wouldn’t retire until she won, and now she has.
“I wanted to work with my father for my first win. So my father worked with me until now,” she said.
Choi finished 72 holes on 14-under 270, tied with Jang – a rookie also in search of a first LPGA title whose three-under 68 was marred by a double-bogey six at the par-four 11th.
Jang fought back gamely with three birdies after the setback, but the 23-year-old ultimately couldn’t pull off a wire-to-wire win at Highland Meadows Golf Club.
Defending champion and world number two Lydia Ko birdied four of her first eight holes and led by as many as two strokes midway through the round before falling back with a bogey at 13.
A birdie at 17 moved the 18-year-old New Zealand star into a tie at the top on 13-under, but both Jang and Choi birdied 17 to get to 14-under and Ko was unable to birdie the last to get into the play-off.
Ko finished with a 67 for 271, equal third with China’s Feng Shanshan who also carded a 67.
