Anyone counting Chella Choi out after the opening round of last year’s Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I made a grand mistake.
The Republic of Korea native was tied for 62nd after the first round of last year’s event, but was simply on fire the next three days, shooting rounds of 66-65-66 to tie countrywoman Ha Na Jang after 72 holes. Choi defeated Jang on the first hole of a playoff to earn her first LPGA Tour title and pocket the $225,000 first-place prize.
The win came in Choi’s 157th career start and with her father on her bag, making the triumph extra special.
“I can’t believe it,” Choi said after the win. “It’s my dreams coming true. Very exciting. I work with my father eight years, and somebody say like that’s why I don’t win, (because of) my caddie.
“So, I’m excited with my father. And, you know, like first time win is hard, but second and third is easier. Hopefully this is a turning point for me.”
Choi is still looking for win No. 2, but has notched four top-10 finishes since her breakthrough last summer. Perhaps a return to Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio, will do the trick for the well-liked 25-year-old.
The $1.5 million tournament has roots dating back to 1984 and boasts some of the game’s legendary players as past champions, including Hall of Famers Laura Davies, Patty Sheehan, Se Ri Pak and Annika Sorenstam. Choi will be joined at the par-72, 6,512-yard course by fellow past champions Lydia Ko (2014), Beatriz Recari (2013), Na Yeon Choi (2010), Paula Creamer (2008) and Heather Bowie Young (2005) this week.
Jang, who has won twice this year, will be back to give Choi another run for her money, as will three-time winner Ariya Jutanugarn, two-time winners Brooke Henderson and Haru Nomura and newly minted U.S. Women’s Open champion Brittany Lang. Add 2016 tournament champions Hyo Joo Kim, Jenny Shin and Anna Nordqvist, who no doubt will be hungry after a playoff loss to Lang on Sunday, and the event’s field gets even deeper.
The tournament can be considered a “birdie-fest,” as the average winning score the last 10 years has been 15.9. So, red numbers should be plentiful on the scoreboards, and fans can rest assured they will see some big putts drop. It is the ninth of 11 consecutive weeks of action for the LPGA, with the second staging of the UL International Crown set for Gurnee, Ill., next week and the RICOH Women’s British Open the following week before play breaks for the Olympic Summer Games in Brazil.
Golf fans who aren’t lucky enough to attend this week’s event in person can find it on Golf Channel from 8-10 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday, from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday and on CBS from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday.
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