Leishman, Choi enter Bay Hill with their sights set on Augusta
This much is for certain: April is going to be a huge month for Marc Leishman. Not only is the Aussie making his Masters debut in Augusta on April 8th, he’s tying the knot with fiance Audrey Hills on April 24. As he prepared for the Bay Hill Invitational on Tuesday, he couldn’t help but think about the month ahead.
So which event is he more nervous about? Not the wedding, according to Leishman (good answer). “I’m actually looking forward to it,” he said with a smile. “I know she’s the right person so I’m not nervous at all.”
The PGA Tour seems to be the right fit for the big man from Down Under as well. He followed up his Rookie of the Year performance in 2009 with a solid start to 2010 including a runner up finish at the Farmers Insurance Open and 3 other top 20’s.
Still, he’s looking to improve:
“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Leishman said. “The results just don’t come. In ways it’s been easier because I’ve played some of the courses before and know where to hit it and where not to hit it…I guess it’s harder in other ways, though, because of the expectations. You are expected to do better than your first year out, but I like that (challenge).”
The trip to the Masters will also be special for Leishman’s coach Denis McDade from Bann Lynch Golf, who will be making his first appearance as a coach at Augusta.
Meanwhile, South Korean K.J Choi has his own sights set on another Masters appearance (he has played in every Masters since 2002). Choi made a huge leap from 75th in the Official World Golf Rankings to 47th after his runner up finish last week in the Transitions Championship. He needs to remain in the top 50 at the end of this week to cement his position in this year’s Masters field.
“When I started out this year, I didn’t really think about it that much, but obviously it was in my mind,” said Choi when asked about the Masters. “I just said to myself to take it week-by-week and just try my best. To hear that this finish puts me in 47th in the world, it’s actually better than what I thought I would be at this point. All I can say is I will try my best next week to maintain or better that position.”
Thanks to Pure Golf Blog for this article:
