players champ,
open favorite

presenting k.J. choi, your 2011 players champ and the early favorite to win next month’s u.s. open at congressional cc. that proclamation goes beyond choi having won at tpc sawgrass in a playoff over david toms—although we have to admit choi’s tentative putting stroke down the stretch sunday gives us pause. and we’ll also downplay choi’s not having a top- 10 finish in 10 tries at america’s national championship. fact is, the south korean, who celebrates his 41st birthday thursday, is the hottest player on tour, with four straight top-10s, including a t- 8 at the masters. he’s also a past winner at the bethesda, md., venue that will host the June 16-19 major. during the Zurich classic, choi told Golf World’s Jim moriarty he’s looking forward to the open. “i don’t know what changes they made to congressional so i can’t really say how i’m going to play,” said choi, “but i have a good vibe about that course this year.” there’s something else, too. that stat about choi never having finished high at the u.s. open? don’t worry about it. the last two winners didn’t have much of an open pedigree, either. lucas glover hadn’t made a cut in three tries before his win at bethpage in 2009, and graeme mcdowell hadn’t finished better than t- 18 in four starts prior to his title last year. —John Antonini