By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
With all eyes on Tiger Woods' return and then Phil Mickelson's late surge, two South Korean golfers Choi Kyoung-ju and Yang Yong-eun made quiet yet impressive runs, both finishing in the top-10 at the Masters.
With Mickelson winning his third title at 16-under, Choi, 39, had sub-par rounds throughout the four-day tournament to tie for fourth with Woods, his four-day playing partner, for an 11-under 277 and 38-year-old Yang finished in a tie for eighth at 7-under.
In addition, Anthony Kim, an American of Korean heritage, made a late surge in the final round into a lone third place, four strokes off the lead.
Choi, who entered the final day in a tie for third, had a bogey-free 3-under on the front nine and added another birdie on the 10th hole to briefly join Mickelson in a share of the lead, but back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 after a pace-of-play warning on the 12th dropped him out of the title mix.
``We (Choi and Woods) were told about our pace on the 12th hole, so that kind of got to me mentally,'' said the seven-time PGA Tour winner.
Choi, who joined the top professional men's golf circuit in 2000, has competed at Augusta National for eight straight years and his career-best finish was a tie for third in 2004.
``Definitely, it was exciting like 2004, but only this year, it was, on a personal level, better for me because my playing level has improved a lot. So, I'm more satisfied,'' he said.
``It was more gratifying for me this year and the fans were very supportive. Just playing with Tiger for the last four days was a very good experience.''
Yang, the only Asian-born major champion on the PGA Tour, got off to a slow start, making two consecutive bogeys on the fifth and sixth, but he closed the back nine with four birdies to go to 7-under.
``I am satisfied that I finished in the top-10,'' Yang said of his third Masters appearance.
``The front nine, I was two-over for the day really fast but then on the fifth hole I missed a makeable putt, and then on the next I hit it a bit short and made bogey.
``I am a bit of streaky player, so I like having my birdies early, and if I don't, then it sort of frustrates me and it just impacts my whole game. The short putts that I missed affected my whole game throughout.''
Kim, 24, who won last week's Shell Houston Open in a playoff, came out of nowhere and fired a tournament-record 65 to prove he has talent enough to challenge for the title.
The three-time PGA Tour winner played a four-hole stretch starting on the 13th in only 12 shots - an eagle and three birdies ― and finished with two strong pars into a 12-under.
``I knew I was coming from pretty far back and Phil's obviously playing great and Lee was playing well,'' Kim said. ``But I grinded. I hung in there and I'm proud of the way I stuck it out.''
Meanwhile, Choi hopes that the top-10 double is likely to motivate Asian golfers in their title bid at major events.
``In the past, it was the mindset of the Asian players that when it comes to the Masters, there was a fear factor there, that we can't do it,'' he said.
``But now I hope that this gives motivation for the younger players, other players, that they can do it at big tournaments like the Masters.''