K. J. Choi
The trailblazing South Korean golfer who smashed cultural barriers, becoming the first Asian-born male to win eight PGA Tour events and inspiring a continent.
Born 1970 (age 56)·South Korean golfer·Birthday: May 19·Generation X
Biography
K.J. Choi's journey to golf's upper echelon began not on a manicured course, but with a homemade club fashioned from a tree branch on the island of Wando. His physical strength, honed by years of weightlifting, became the foundation for a uniquely powerful swing that would carry him across oceans. Choi was a pioneer, arriving on the PGA Tour as one of the first and most successful Korean players, facing not just competition but a steep cultural learning curve. His breakthrough was a testament to relentless work; his eight PGA Tour wins, including the prestigious Players Championship in 2011, were milestones for Asian golf. More than his victories, his stoic demeanor and unwavering focus opened doors and altered perceptions, creating a pathway for the wave of international talent that followed.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
K. was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When K. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
K.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 2011 Players Championship, one of golf's most prestigious events, defeating a field of the world's best.
- Became the first Korean-born player to win on the PGA Tour with his victory at the 2002 Compaq Classic of New Orleans.
- Accumulated over 30 professional wins worldwide and spent 40 weeks ranked inside the world's top 10.
Did You Know?
He took up golf at age 16 after finding a book by Jack Nicklaus in a library.
He was a champion weightlifter in his youth, which contributed to his powerful swing.
His nickname on tour is 'Tank', a reference to his sturdy build and relentless style.
“I never dreamed of being a star. I just wanted to be a good golfer.”
