Choi makes big move in standings By PGATOUR.COM staff PGATOUR.COM K.J. Choi, who was one of Gary Player’s Captain’s Picks for the 2003 Presidents Cup, made a big jump in the International Team standings for this year’s competition with his victory Sunday in the SK Telecom Open. Choi, who beat Fred Couples and Andrew Bunkle by five strokes at the tournament in his native South Korea, jumped from 13th to ninth in the standings. Choi displaced Shigeki Maruyama, who dropped down to 10th. The 2005 Presidents Cup will be held Sept. 20-25 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Prince William County, Va. The U.S. holds a 3-1-1 edge in the competition, with the tie coming two years ago in George, South Africa. The top eight positions in the International standings remained unchanged, with the rankings led by Vijay Singh, who made Sunday’s Wachovia Championship his third victory of the season. Player’s other Captain’s Pick from 2003, Tim Clark, also inched closer to automatic qualification, moving from 12th to 11th. The International Team standings are based on the Official World Golf Ranking and do not include players eligible for the Ryder Cup. Jim Furyk, who lost to Singh in a playoff at Quail Hollow on Sunday, climbed from 26th to 19th in the U.S. Team standings. The former U.S. Open champion is a veteran of three Presidents Cups, including the 2003 event in South Africa. Scott Verplank, who played for the Americans in the 2002 Ryder Cup, continues to battle for his first-ever Presidents Cup berth. His tie for 11th at the Wachovia Championship boosted him from 11th to ninth place on the U.S. list. Phil Mickelson, who has played in all five of the Presidents Cups, continues to lead the U.S. Team standings with Tiger Woods, Chris DiMarco, David Toms and Stewart Cink rounding out the top five. DiMarco and Toms switched places last week. The United States team standings are based on money earned since the start of the 2004 season, with this year’s earnings counting double. The qualification period ends at the conclusion of the PGA Championship on Sunday, Aug. 14. The following Monday, Player and U.S. Captain Jack Nicklaus will make their two Captain’s Picks.