Choi looks to the gallery to sharpen his game

Asian star Choi Kyung-ju, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, is looking to draw inspiration from the big galleries at Sentosa Golf Club this week as he takes on an elite field in the US$4 million Barclays Singapore Open.

The world number nine expects the large Korean expatriate community in Singapore to come out in their hundreds to support him from November 1-4.

“The bigger the galleries out there the better it is going to motivate me to play better - I feed off my fans,” said Choi.

“To see them cheering for me it gives me so much confidence. When I feel their support, I can play the shots I want. As a player I want to showcase my talent and impress the crowds. I think the more people that come out the more it is going to motivate me.”

Choi won the Memorial Tournament and the AT&T Classic this year and underlined his credentials as a Major winner in the making by leading the British Open at Carnoustie before slipping back to finish eighth.

He credited his formative years playing in Koran tournaments and then on the Asian Tour for equipping him for the step up to the PGA Tour.

“It has been a very meaningful year this year. The year I had really stems from the years starting out in Korea, making my way gradually onto bigger arenas starting with the Asian Tour,” said Choi, a three-time winner on the Asian Tour.

“Now having played on the PGA Tour for eight years all that experience has come to fruition this year. Definitely my days competing on the Asian Tour really helped me a lot, I learned everywhere I went. All the tournaments I played I learned a lot and that has been the foundation of my success this year.”

Choi believes he has to add a bit more firepower to his arsenal before he can win a Major.

“Honestly I think there are a lot of things for me to improve on,” he said. “Winning a Major does not come from being confident. I need to improve on my short game. You need to be able to stop the ball on the green when hitting it out of the rough and that ability is one of the things I lack. I need to work on that.

“I still need time. It is not going to be easy. I am prepared to work hard at it and when I do that the results will take care of themselves.”

October 31 , 2007