Choi joins elite with Hawaii win

Choi's final round of 71 proved good enough on the day

FINAL ROUND LEADERBOARD:
(US unless stated)
-14 KJ Choi (Kor)
-11 R Sabbatini (RSA)
-10 J Kelly
-8 K Na (Kor), S Marino, P Perez, S Stricker
Selected others:
-4 J Furyk
-2 D Chopra (Swe)
Level V Singh (Fij)

South Korea's KJ Choi took his seventh PGA Tour title by winning the Sony Open in Hawaii by three shots on Sunday.

The world number nine survived blustery conditions at Waialae Country Club to join Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh in an elite group.

They are the only four current players to win tournaments on the PGA Tour in at least four consecutive seasons.

Choi, 37, said: "That's a very interesting fact I didn't know, but I'm not concerned about things like that."

Speaking through an interpreter, he went on: "It was all through hard work and all I can do right now is just try my best, try to fill this empty cup that's out there.

"There are a lot of improvements that I need to make and all I can say is I'll just keep on trying my best."

Choi, who closed with a one-over-par 71 in the second event of the PGA Tour season, believes his wire-to-wire victory will help him in the bigger tournaments to come.

"It has a lot of implications," he said, after posting a 14-under total of 266. "I think the biggest thing I learned this week is no matter what the conditions are out there, you have to stay patient with yourself.

The ones that were chasing unfortunately failed to do our jobs Rory Sabbatini, who came second

"This experience in Hawaii is going to help me prepare for the major tournaments that are coming up because in those tournaments you have to be patient. You can't get too greedy."

Choi began the final round with a four-shot lead and had to grind out the win after dropping two shots in the first 13 holes.

He finally made his only birdie of the day at the par-five last, where he chipped up to two feet from just short of the green and rammed home the putt.

South African Rory Sabbatini fired a six-birdie 68 to finish second at 11-under, one stroke in front of American Jerry Kelly, who closed with a bogey-free 67.

World number three Steve Stricker, the highest ranked player in the field, signed off with a 70 to tie for fourth at eight under, level with fellow Americans Pat Perez (70), Steve Marino (72) and Kevin Na (72).

Sabbatini was left to rue costly errors at the fifth, eighth and 15th in an otherwise excellent round.

"KJ brought himself back towards us a little bit but the ones that were chasing unfortunately failed to do our jobs and go low enough to maybe change the outcome," he said.