Choi coasts to seven shot victory

K.J. Choi shot a final-round 68 for a seven-shot victory in the Tampa Bay Classic on Sunday, winning for the second time this season.

Choi, 31st on the Tour money list when the entry deadline qualified the top 30 for a trip to Ireland for the World Golf Championship event, finished at 17-under-par, winning $468,000.

Glen Day, who closed with a 69, finished seven shots back. Mark Brooks shot 67 to finish 9-under and eight back.

Choi's seven-shot victory margin is the season's largest, bettering Vijay Singh's win at the Shell Houston Open by one shot.

``When I first started out the day I did feel some pressure and uneasiness to be honest, but as the holes went by I felt much more comfortable,'' Choi said through an interpreter. ``I just said to myself ``I'll just take it hole by hole.'''

Choi, who earlier this year won the Compaq Classic of New Orleans for his first PGA Tour title, became the season's seventh multiple winner.

Taking the first-round lead with a tournament- and course-record 63, Choi carried a five-shot advantage over Pat Perez into Sunday's final round. Perez, last year's qualifying school medalist, shot a final-round 74 to finish 11 back.

Day, who trailed by six at the start, closed to within three shots after making his fourth birdie of the day at the ninth hole, but he would get no closer.

``I made the turn thinking, 'You're playing good, stick to the routine and let whatever happens happen,''' Day said.

Day bogeyed the 10th hole after clipping a tree with this approach shot and Choi birdied the 11th and 14th to coast home.

``I said 12-under (would win) at the first of the week,'' Day said. ``Obviously, I was wrong. K.J. played really well.''

Teenager Ty Tryon, who drew the week's largest galleries as he returned for his first tournament since March, closed with a 4-over 75 to finish 1-over. He earned his first PGA Tour paycheck after missing the cut earlier this year in four outings.

``I was working on a few things with my swing, which you shouldn't do,'' Tryon said. ``I hit a few shots to the right and lost my confidence and kept blocking shots. I haven't been out here in a while. It's hard to make a change and go out there and stick with it. That's what happened.''

Stewart Cink, who along with Hal Sutton, completed play and headed for England and this week's Ryder Cup competition, shot 69 to finish even-par and tied for 35th. Sutton's final-round 74 left him 1-over and in a tie for 41st.

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