South Korean: Choi brings ‘Fisherman swing’ to PGA event

WASHINGTON: South Korean golfer Choi Ho-sung, who has developed a social media cult following for his “Fisherman Swing”, plays only his second US PGA event at this week’s John Deere Classic.

The 45-year-old is playing in the final US tuneup event for next week’s British Open on a sponsor’s exemption after missing the cut in his American debut at Pebble Beach in February.

“I’m so thankful to be playing here,” Choi said. “I can’t thank the tournament enough and I can’t wait to show my fun swing to everybody in the US.”

Choi, whose unique step-over follow through has attracted YouTube fans worldwide, won the Japan Tour’s Casio World Open last November and took the 2013 Indonesia PGA Championship. “I just want to make the cut and see where it goes from there,” Choi said.

Choi grew up in Pohang, the son of a fisherman father and free-diver mother who was ineligible for military service due to a thumb injury and turned to golf after getting a job at a course, using golf magazines and years of work to develop his own unique style with the clubs. “I personally love my swing,” Choi said. “It’s a swing that I’ve come up with on my own for a long time, and it’s a swing that has worked for me.”