By Jonathan Sanfilippo
Staff Reporter
A year ago in Dublin, Ohio, Choi Kyoung-ju won the Memorial Tournament by one stroke, earning a trophy and prize money as well as a handshake and compliments from one of his golf heroes, Jack Nicklaus, a legendary player who designed the course and grew up close to where the event was held.
``The fact that it's Jack's tournament just made me feel really comfortable,'' Choi said through an interpreter after his victory.
Now, Choi, South Korea's top male golfer, is back at the Memorial, looking to defend his title. He'll begin playing in the tournament Thursday on the same Nicklaus-designed course at the Muirfield Village Golf Club where he triumphed last year.
Choi, who is nicknamed ``Tank,'' enters the tournament ranked eighth in the world and 13th on this year's PGA Tour money list with $1,801,432 (1.87 billion won).
He has placed in the top 10 at three tour events this year, including a win in January at the Sony Open that gave him the seventh PGA victory of his career.
However, Choi has struggled recently. His last three tournaments resulted in him finishing 41st at the Masters in mid-April and failing to make the cut at The Players Championship and the Crowne Plaza Invitational earlier this month.
Attempting to break out of his slump, Choi returns to the Memorial, where he excelled last year, tallying a four-round total score of 17-under-par 271. That included a 7-under 65 in the final round, which earned him a one-shot victory over Ryan Moore of the United States and praise from Nicklaus.