Making the transition from high school to college can be a daunting task, but freshman Albin Choi has made the transition look quite easy. In his first season with the N.C. State men’s golf team, the Toronto native has already made a name for himself, winning two tournaments and posting two other top-20 finishes.
After losing former NCAA champion Matt Hill to the PGA Tour and Adam Hogue to graduation, Choi has provided the Wolfpack with a breath of fresh air. The freshman earned his first collegiate victory at the Wolfpack Invite at Lonnie Poole golf course, firing a 6-under (207) to lead State to a first-place finish.
Choi followed up his win at the Wolfpack Invite by finishing first at the Rod Myers Invitational this past Sunday and Monday, shooting a 5-under (211).
While the unfamiliar level of college competition would overwhelm many freshman golfers, playing golf on a national stage is nothing new for Choi. Just before joining the Wolfpack, Choi won the 2010 Canadien Men’s Amateur Championship by shooting a final round 6-under en route to setting a new tournament record of 271 (-17).
“Winning the Canadian Amateur was a real confidence booster for me,” Choi said. “Coming into college, I really wanted to get a win early in the season, just as another confidence booster. It happened during the Wolfpack Invite and carried over [to the Rod Myers Invitational]. I guess I did exceed my expectations by a little bit, but in the back of my mind I always knew I could pull it off.”
The 14th-ranked Wolfpack should be thankful for Choi’s grandfather, who first introduced Choi to the game of golf. As a youngster, Choi would stand beside his grandfather at the driving range and try to duplicate his grandfather’s swing.
Both of Choi’s parents are from Seoul, South Korea, a country that has had quite an influence on the game of golf, most notably on the PGA Tour. Players such as Y.E. Yang, the 2009 PGA Championship winner, and K.J. Choi, winner of seven Tour events, have helped spark an interest in golf among many young Koreans.
“Korean people love to play golf, that’s just a given,” Choi said. “A lot of young Korean golfers are coming up and competing on the world stage, which is really exciting to see. It’s exciting to see how talented these young golfers are and that’s the great thing about this sport.”
Perhaps one day Choi will follow in the footsteps of his fellow countrymen Yang and Choi, but for now, the freshman will focus on taking small steps to improve.
Although Choi finished the fall season on a high note, he said he will continue to work on every facet of his game and focus on his physical training in preparation for the upcoming spring season, which begins in late February.
“Practice-wise, I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing,” Choi. “I’m not going to put my clubs down. I’m going to keep going at it. I really want to focus on getting my body in shape and start working out for the spring season.”
