June 05, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1428

DUBLIN (Ohio), June 4: South Korean K.J. Choi charged from five strokes behind to win the $6 million Memorial tournament with a near-flawless final round on Sunday. He gathered six birdies in a blistering front nine to hit the front at the turn, and used a hot putter to preserve his lead and claim a one-stroke victory over American Ryan Moore.

Choi missed only one putt from inside 15 feet, shooting 65 on another ideal day for low scoring at Muirfield Village to finish at 17-under-par 271.

The 37-year-old from Wando, who now lives in Houston, Texas, is the most successful Asian player in PGA Tour history but his fifth win in the US and 11th globally was easily the biggest of his career.

He certainly looked comfortable, making a series of clutch par-saving putts over the final three holes, a seven-footer at the 16th followed by a 16-footer at the 17th.

He left himself with work at the par-four 18th after dumping a five-iron into a greenside bunker, from where he hit a decent recovery but was still nearly five feet from the hole.

He stroked the putt home before waited to see if anyone could catch him. Moore was already in the clubhouse with a 66, so Choi only had to worry about Adam Scott and Rod Pampling, both one shot behind with two holes left.

But the two Australians made matching bogeys at the 17th and Choi was home, gratefully receiving the congratulations of Nicklaus, along with $1,080,000.

Pampling (72) parred the last to tie for third with Kenny Perry (63), two shots off the pace, while Scott (70) bogeyed the last to tie for fifth, another stroke back.

Moore was not in the picture until very late, running off five straight birdies from the 13th hole.

World No 1 Tiger Woods shot 67 to tie for 15th, eight strokes off the pace in his final tune-up for the US Open starting on Thursday.

Leading final-round scores:

271 – K.J. Choi (South Korea) 69, 70, 67, 65.

272 – Ryan Moore (US) 66, 69, 71, 66.

273 – Kenny Perry (US) 69, 74, 67, 63; Rod Pampling (Australia) 65, 68, 68, 72.

274 – Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 68, 68, 70, 68; Stewart Cink (US) 69, 71, 65, 69; Sean O'Hair (US) 65, 70, 69, 70; Adam Scott (Australia) 70, 62, 72, 70.

276 – Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 70, 67, 69, 70; Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 66, 68, 71, 71.

277 – Brett Quigley (US) 70, 69, 71, 67; Will MacKenzie (US) 67, 73, 65, 72.

278 – Billy Mayfair (US) 68, 71, 71, 68; Matt Kuchar (US) 68, 73, 69, 68.

279 – Ernie Els (South Africa) 66, 75, 71, 67; Vijay Singh (Fiji) 69, 72, 71, 67; Jason Gore (US) 70, 70, 71, 68; Tiger Woods (US) 70, 72, 70, 67; Rocco Mediate (US) 69, 73, 72, 65; Tim Herron (US) 66, 73, 69, 71.

280 – Alex Cejka (Germany) 71, 72, 68, 69; Richard Johnson (Sweden) 73, 69, 68, 70.

281 – Sergio Garcia (Spain) 69, 73, 69, 70; Jim Furyk (US) 70, 69, 71, 71; Bo Van Pelt (US) 74, 72, 70, 65; Ted Purdy (US) 68, 69, 72, 72; Nick O'Hern (Australia) 65, 74, 69, 73; Bubba Watson (US) 66, 68, 73, 74.

282 – Boo Weekley (US) 69, 69, 72, 72; Steve Marino (US) 73, 71, 66, 72.—Reuters