South Korean golfer Choi Kyoung-Ju says he will donate around a third of his Sony Open prize money to families of victims of a deadly warehouse blaze in his country.
Choi announced he will donate about $320 000 (around R2-million) of the $954 000 he received for his victory in Honolulu on Sunday.
"I hope that the deceased rest in peace and that their families overcome this suffering," he said.
Forty people, including 12 ethnic Korean Chinese nationals, were killed in the blaze at a cold storage depot at Icheon south of Seoul on January 7. Most of the victims were daily wage earners, including many migrant workers from China.
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Choi, better known internationally as KJ Choi, secured a three-shot victory over South African Rory Sabbatini for his seventh US PGA title.
He has won at least one tournament every year since 2005, becoming one of only four golfers including Tiger Woods of the US to do so.
Choi has established himself as the best Asian player in the world. His Sony victory moved the 37-year-old to No 7 in the rankings, a career-high.
Discipline and determination have been his trademarks since Choi first picked up a book written by Jack Nicklaus as a teenager.
He was a weightlifter before golf, hiking up mountains with 25 kilograms strapped to his shoulders. He spent two years of military service in South Korea where he thrived.
And when he wanted to be a pro, he had a tough time convincing the family of his future bride that he could provide a good living.
"When I got my first win, they approved," he said. "They weren't against the fact that I wanted to be a professional golfer. I think they were against the fact that as a golfer, your income is uncertain.
"They thought there was a lot of risk involved. But when they looked at my eyes, they saw that I had the passion, the urge, to succeed.
And I think once they read that in my eyes, that's when they approved."
- This article was originally published on page 16 of Cape Argus on January 15, 2008
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