News

Viral sensation Ho-sung Choi receives second PGA Tour sponsor exemption

April 17, 2019
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - Round One

Jeff Gross

It appears the most electrifying man in golf is returning to the states.

Ho-sung Choi, whose eccentric swing and demonstrative demeanor turned the Korean golfer into a viral sensation, has accepted a sponsor exemption to play in this year's John Deere Classic.

This will mark Choi's second appearance on the PGA Tour this season, making his U.S. debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The 45-year-old turned in rounds of 72, 75 and 77 to miss the cut by 11 shots. Despite this performance, Choi's gyrations and rapport with NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers made him a tournament hit.

"We had him over to the house, him and his family. We had a blast," Rodgers told reporters. "There's obviously some loss in translation with the language barrier, but we had his translator there, and we just had a blast. He's a great guy. I think it's great for the tournament and for golf. Obviously, his swing gets a lot of attention, but he's a good player. It was a lot of fun to play with him."

Choi, currently ranked 226th in the world, has played just two other times in 2019, missing the cut at the European Tour's Magical Kenya Open and finishing T-12 at the SMBC Singapore Open.

This year's John Deere Classic remains in its pre-Open slot on the calendar, beginning on July 11. Michael Kim is the defending champ.