Rory McIlroy Questions Hosung Choi Pebble Beach Invite
The four-time Major winner is unsure whether the South Korean should be taking the spot of a PGA Tour player


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The four-time Major winner is unsure whether the South Korean should be taking the spot of a PGA Tour player
Rory McIlroy Questions Hosung Choi Pebble Beach Invite
Internet sensation Hosung Choi makes his first ever PGA Tour start next month at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, much to the excitement of the golfing world.
Choi, as the internet sensation description suggests, has only been viewed on social media by most fans, although we will now get the chance to watch him live on TV for a full round.
However, Rory McIlroy has questioned Choi's inclusion into the event, and rightly so, raising the point that he has taken the spot of a PGA Tour player.
“If you watch it up until impact, he's technically got a pretty good swing. He's obviously a pretty good player,” McIlroy said of the two-time Japan Golf Tour winner's famous action.
“Whether that means he should be taking a spot away from a PGA Tour player at a PGA Tour event, I'm not so sure.”
Watch what McIlroy said to that:
This issue has been raised plenty of times in the past, most recently with players like Tony Romo, Steph Curry and Brittany Lincicome who have all received special invites into PGA or Web.com Tour events and missed the cut.
What the inclusion of those above does add to the tournament, obviously, is added attention which then increases reach, viewing figures and tournament finances.
Choi is clearly a talented golfer, but whether or not he can make the cut around three courses he has never seen before (Pebble Beach, Monterrey Peninsula CC and Spyglass Hill) remains to be seen.
Should Hosung Choi have received an invite into the Pebble Beach Pro Am? Let us know on our social media channels.
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The Pebble Beach Pro-Am takes place from 7th-10th February. Ted Potter Jr is the defending champion.
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Elliott Heath is our Senior Staff Writer and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news, features, courses and travel sections as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as four Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays at West Byfleet Golf Club in Surrey, where his handicap index floats anywhere between 2-5. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max
Hybrid: TaylorMade SIM Max
Irons: Mizuno MP5 4-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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