Honda Classic: Jupiter resident and first-time PGA Tour caddie Albin Choi guides Sungjae Im to title

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Before this week, Jupiter’s Albin Choi had never served as a caddie on the PGA Tour. No problem. The 27-year-old guided South Korea’s Sungjae Im to victory Sunday in the Honda Classic at PGA National.

A regular on the Korn Ferry Tour for the last four years, Choi is figuring out what he wants to do next after a disappointing 2019. For the last four months, he’ been working at Old Palm Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens.

So when Im called him after the Genesis Invitational to ask if he could be on his bag for the Honda, Choi accepted.

“I know he’s had some language barriers with other caddies in the past,” Choi said of Im. “I just felt like we communicate better and being a player myself and having played the golf course a lot of times, he wanted someone on the bag with a little bit of experience.”

Choi is the son of Korean immigrants who was born in Surrey, British Columbia, and grew up in Toronto; he speaks Korean and served as Im’s translator Sunday.

Around the time Choi moved to Jupiter three years ago, he got to know Im. At the time, Im was also playing on the Korn Ferry Tour, with the two meeting at the final stage of qualifying in Arizona.

“As the year progressed, we kind of became closer and closer and when he moved on to the PGA Tour, we kind of just kept in touch,” said Choi, who won the 2010 Canadian Men’s Amateur championship.

Choi has appeared in five Tour events, all at the RBC Canadian Open and attended the 2018 Honda Classic as a spectator. He also has played PGA National numerous times; it was actually where Choi earned his Korn Ferry Tour playing card.

“I know how hard it is to kind of navigate your way through this golf course, just with the pressure of the tournament on the line, and just playing here a bunch,” Choi said. “I just felt like the experience kind of helped me out today and just from a player standpoint, I kind of knew what he was feeling at certain times.

“I felt like I could draw upon my experiences to help him out today and kind of keep his head in the right place.”

Im wasn’t the only familiar face Choi saw on the course Sunday. Im’s playing partner was Mackenzie Hughes, the 2011 and 2012 Canadian men’s Amateur champion.

Choi was a groomsman in Hughes’ wedding and the two roomed together when playing on the Korn Ferry Tour. So Choi was rooting for both players down the stretch Sunday, even when Hughes made a birdie on 17th to temporarily tie Im for the lead at 5-under.

“After he made that putt on 17, I gave him a fist pump,” Choi said. “Him and I are super close.”

Im then made a birdie of his own at 17th to take the lead for good. Still, Hughes finished second Sunday, his best finish on the Tour since March 31, 2019.

“It was nice to see him play well this week,” Choi said.

With Choi sporting a perfect record as a caddie on the Tour, will this relationship continue going forward?

It’s too early to say, though Choi expressed interest.

“I told him as long as in this time that I’m not playing, I would love to,” Choi said. “I know he’s been bouncing around doing a few (caddies), so we’ll see. It’s kind of up in the air.”

Choi certainly will cherish Sunday’s experience. While he was the caddie, he learned plenty from watching Im play.

“When you’re watching from the outside, you see a lot more,” Choi said. “When I come here as a player, it’s a little different. I definitely noticed more things from the outside, of how guys compose themselves and certain things here and there, just in general.

“I just thought that was a good learning experience for me, too. Getting a front-row seat to what it takes to win a PGA Tour event. It’s not something you come across every day.”