A native of Wando, South Jeolla, he took up golf in high school. The year he turned 23, he passed the KPGA pro test. In 1995 he won his first KPGA Tour title at the Phantom Classic and was named rookie of the year. In 1996 he won the Korea Open and finished first on the money list. In 1997 he added three wins in Korea and stayed first on the money list for a second year. In December 1998 he failed the U.S. PGA Tour qualifying school and moved to Japan. In 1999 he won twice on the Japan Golf Tour and passed the PGA qualifying school.
In 2000 he became the first Korean to play on the U.S. PGA Tour. In 2001 he finished 85th on the money list and kept his tour card on his own for the first time.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 32, in May, he won the Compaq Classic and became the first Korean to win on the PGA Tour. In September he won the Tampa Bay Classic as well.
In 2003 he won the European Tour’s Linde German Masters, and in November he became the first Korean to play for the International team at the Presidents Cup. In 2004 he finished in solo third at the Masters, the best finish by an Asian player.
In 2005 he won the Chrysler Classic for his third PGA Tour win. In 2006 he won the Chrysler Championship for his fourth. In 2007 he won the Memorial Tournament and the AT&T National in succession and received the Cheongryong Medal. In 2008 he won the Sony Open for his seventh win, and in March he reached fifth in the world rankings, the highest for a Korean man. That year he also founded the K.J. Choi Foundation to help young golfers.
In 2009 he won the Asian Tour’s Iskandar Johor Open. In 2010 he finished tied for fourth at the Masters. In 2011 he became the first Asian winner of The Players Championship for his eighth PGA Tour win, and the same year he founded the CJ Invitational, which carries his name, and won its first edition. In 2012 he won the CJ Invitational for a second straight year.
In 2015 he served as senior assistant captain of the International team at the Presidents Cup, held in Incheon, the first in Asia. In 2019 he was named Presidents Cup assistant captain again. In 2020 he made his PGA Tour Champions debut. In 2021 he won the Pure Insurance Championship, the first Korean to win on the PGA Tour Champions. In 2022 he was named Presidents Cup assistant captain for the third time.
The year he turned 54, on his birthday in May, he won the SK Telecom Open to become the oldest KPGA winner, and in July he won The Senior Open for his first senior major title. In 2025 he set the SK Telecom Open record for most cuts made. In 2026 he was one start short of 500 PGA Tour starts.
K. J. Choi (born May 19, 1970) passed the KPGA pro test in 1993, the year he turned 23, and became known on May 6, 2002, the year he turned 32, when he won the PGA Tour’s Compaq Classic as the first Korean to win on the PGA Tour. In 2024, the year he turned 54, he won The Senior Open, the first Korean to win a major on both the U.S. and European senior tours.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
A native of Wando, South Jeolla, he took up golf as a high school student and passed the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association (KPGA) pro test on his first try.
Source 04 · Newsis (Korean) · Korean players combine for 10 wins · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Herald Business (Korean) · 50 years of KPGA winners · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Munhwa Ilbo (Korean) · At 51, Choi is the first Korean to win on the PGA Tour Champions · opens in a new tabTwo years after turning pro he won his first KPGA Tour title at the Phantom Classic and was named rookie of the year.
Source 06 · Herald Business (Korean) · 50 years of KPGA winners · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Munhwa Ilbo (Korean) · At 51, Choi is the first Korean to win on the PGA Tour Champions · opens in a new tabWon the Korea Open and finished first on the KPGA Tour money list that year.
Source 06 · Herald Business (Korean) · 50 years of KPGA winners · opens in a new tabWon the Phantom Open, the KPGA Championship and the Superior Open and stayed first on the money list for a second straight year.
Source 06 · Herald Business (Korean) · 50 years of KPGA winners · opens in a new tabHe took the U.S. PGA Tour qualifying school that December, failed, and moved his base to Japan.
Source 06 · Herald Business (Korean) · 50 years of KPGA winners · opens in a new tabWon the Kirin Open and the Ube Kosan Open on the Japan Golf Tour, and passed the U.S. PGA Tour qualifying school in a tie for 35th, the last qualifying place.
Source 04 · Newsis (Korean) · Korean players combine for 10 wins · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Hankyung (Korean) · Yang Yong-eun passes Q-School (compared with Choi’s path) · opens in a new tabBecame the first Korean player on the U.S. PGA Tour. That year he fell to 134th on the money list, reapplied to the qualifying school and kept his card in a tie for 31st.
Source 04 · Newsis (Korean) · Korean players combine for 10 wins · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Hankyung (Korean) · Yang Yong-eun passes Q-School (compared with Choi’s path) · opens in a new tabFinished 85th on the money list and, for the first time, kept his tour card without going through the qualifying school.
Source 05 · Hankyung (Korean) · Yang Yong-eun passes Q-School (compared with Choi’s path) · opens in a new tabWon the PGA Tour’s Compaq Classic at English Turn Golf Club in Louisiana with a total of 271, 17 under. It was the first win by a Korean player in more than 100 years of PGA Tour history.
Won the Tampa Bay Classic with a total of 267, 17 under, for a second win of the season four months and 17 days after his first.
Source 03 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · Second win at the Tampa Bay Classic · opens in a new tabShot a 67, 5 under, in the fourth round of the Linde German Masters at Gut Lärchenhof in Cologne, Germany, for his first European Tour win.
Source 12 · Hankyung (Korean) · First European Tour win · opens in a new tabPlayed in the 2003 Presidents Cup at Fancourt Resort in South Africa, the first Korean player on the International team.
Source 13 · MBC SPORTS+ (Korean) · Golf Digest introduces “Tank” Choi · opens in a new tabIn the final round of the Masters he made one eagle, three birdies and two bogeys to go 3 under, and finished in solo third at 282, 6 under. It was the best Masters finish by an Asian player.
Source 09 · The Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Solo third at the Masters · opens in a new tabWon the Chrysler Classic with a four-round total of 266, 22 under, for his third PGA Tour win. It was his lowest 72-hole score since coming to the U.S.
Source 10 · Hankyoreh (Korean) · Wins the Chrysler Classic · opens in a new tabWon the Chrysler Championship at 13 under, his first win of the season and fourth on the PGA Tour.
Source 11 · YTN (Korean) · Wins the Chrysler Championship · opens in a new tabCame from behind to win the Memorial Tournament, which is regarded as a major-level event. His prize of $1.08 million was the largest since he came to the U.S.
Source 33 · YTN (Korean) · Top 10 on the money list after the Memorial win · opens in a new tabSource 08 · Joynews24 (Korean) · Order of Sports Merit, Cheongryong Medal · opens in a new tab The date of the win was not confirmed in news reports, so only the month is given.Came from behind to win the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in Maryland for his sixth PGA Tour win. His two wins that year took him into the world top 10.
Source 34 · Money Today (Korean) · Wins the AT&T National · opens in a new tabSource 08 · Joynews24 (Korean) · Order of Sports Merit, Cheongryong Medal · opens in a new tabRecognized for raising the nation’s standing, he received the Cheongryong Medal, the highest of the Orders of Sports Merit.
Source 08 · Joynews24 (Korean) · Order of Sports Merit, Cheongryong Medal · opens in a new tabWon the Sony Open in Hawaii wire to wire, leading all four days, at 14 under, 266, for his seventh PGA Tour win.
Source 14 · Newsis (Korean) · Wire-to-wire win at the Sony Open · opens in a new tabRose to fifth in the world rankings, the highest for a Korean male player. The same year he founded the K.J. Choi Foundation, which helps young golfers who are struggling financially.
Source 15 · Edaily (Korean) · Choi holds the best world ranking of any Korean player · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · The K.J. Choi Foundation · opens in a new tabWon the Asian Tour’s Iskandar Johor Open at Royal Johor Country Club in Malaysia.
Source 32 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Wins the Iskandar Johor Open · opens in a new tabIn the final round of the Masters he was briefly tied for the lead, and finished tied for fourth at 277, 11 under. Tiger Woods, who played with him, finished in the same position.
Source 30 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · 2010 Masters final leaderboard · opens in a new tabSource 31 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · 2010 Masters, briefly tied for the lead · opens in a new tabBeat David Toms on the first extra hole at The Players Championship, which is often called the fifth major. He was the first Asian winner, and it was his eighth PGA Tour win.
Source 16 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Wins The Players Championship · opens in a new tabBecame the first Asian player to start a tournament carrying his own name, the CJ Invitational. He won the first edition with 5 under on the last day for a total of 271, 17 under, and said he would donate all of the prize money to the K.J. Choi Foundation.
Source 17 · Ajunews (Korean) · Choi interview (2015 Presidents Cup) · opens in a new tabSource 18 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · Wins his own tournament · opens in a new tabWon the CJ Invitational, which he hosts, at 15 under, 269, for a second straight title at the event.
Source 19 · MK Sports (Korean) · Back-to-back wins at the CJ Invitational · opens in a new tabServed as senior assistant captain of the International team at the Presidents Cup in Songdo, Incheon, the first held in Asia.
Source 20 · Ajunews (Korean) · Additional assistant captains named for the 2015 Presidents Cup · opens in a new tabSource 17 · Ajunews (Korean) · Choi interview (2015 Presidents Cup) · opens in a new tabNamed assistant captain of the International team again, four years after the 2015 event in Incheon.
Source 21 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Named Presidents Cup assistant captain again · opens in a new tabEntered the senior circuit for players 50 and older, making his PGA Tour Champions debut at The Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills Golf Club in Michigan.
Source 23 · Newspim (Korean) · Champions Tour debut · opens in a new tabWon the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach at 13 under, 203. He was the first Korean to win on the PGA Tour Champions, and it was his first win on the U.S. stage in 10 years and four months, since The Players Championship in 2011.
Source 07 · Munhwa Ilbo (Korean) · At 51, Choi is the first Korean to win on the PGA Tour Champions · opens in a new tabNamed assistant captain of the International team for the third time. As a player he took part in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 events.
Source 22 · Sports Today (Korean) · Presidents Cup assistant captain for the third time · opens in a new tabOn his 54th birthday he tied Park Sang-hyun on the last day of the SK Telecom Open and won on the second playoff hole. He broke by nearly four years the record set by Choi Sang-ho in 2005, at 50 years and four months, for the oldest KPGA winner. It was his 17th KPGA Tour win and his 30th career win counting overseas tours.
Source 24 · Newsfreezone (Korean) · Oldest KPGA winner on his 54th birthday · opens in a new tabSource 25 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Top 10 sports stories of 2024 · opens in a new tabWon The Senior Open at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland with a final total of 278, 10 under. He was the first Korean player to win a major on both the U.S. and European senior tours.
Source 26 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · A first major champion at 54 · opens in a new tabMade the cut through the second round of the SK Telecom Open, his 22nd cut at the event, the most in its history.
Source 28 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Most cuts made · opens in a new tabHe had made 499 PGA Tour starts through the 2025 Open Championship, one short of 500, a mark reached by only 156 players. In an interview with Hankyung he said he was getting in shape for the U.S. Senior Open in July.
Source 29 · Hankyung (Korean) · Aiming for 500 PGA Tour starts · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1993–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Sports · South Korea
May 19, 1970 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1970: the year of the event minus 1970, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.29 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.