With all eyes on Tiger Woods’ return and then Phil Mickelson’s late surge, two South Korean golfers KJ Choi and YE Yang made quiet yet impressive runs, both finishing in the top-10 at the Masters. With Mickelson winning his third title at 16-under, Choi, 39, had sub-par rounds throughout the four-day tournament to tie for fourth with Woods, his four-day playing partner, for an 11-under 277 and 38-year-old Yang finished in a tie for eighth at 7-under.

In addition, Anthony Kim, an American of Korean heritage, made a late surge in the final round into a lone third place, four strokes off the lead. Choi, who entered the final day in a tie for third, had a bogey-free 3-under on the front nine and added another birdie on the 10th hole to briefly join Mickelson in a share of the lead, but back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 after a pace-of-play warning on the 12th dropped him out of the title mix.

“We (Choi and Woods) were told about our pace on the 12th hole, so that kind of got to me mentally,” said the seven-time PGA Tour winner. Choi, who joined the top professional men’s golf circuit in 2000, has competed at Augusta National for eight straight years and his career-best finish was a tie for third in 2004.

“Definitely, it was exciting like 2004, but only this year, it was, on a personal level, better for me because my playing level has improved a lot. So, I’m more satisfied,” he said.

“It was more gratifying for me this year and the fans were very supportive. Just playing with Tiger for the last four days was a very good experience.”

Yang, the only Asian-born major champion on the PGA Tour, got off to a slow start, making two consecutive bogeys on the fifth and sixth, but he closed the back nine with four birdies to go to 7-under.

“I am satisfied that I finished in the top-10,” Yang said of his third Masters appearance.

“The front nine, I was two-over for the day really fast but then on the fifth hole I missed a makeable putt, and then on the next I hit it a bit short and made bogey.

“I am a bit of streaky player, so I like having my birdies early, and if I don’t, then it sort of frustrates me and it just impacts my whole game. The short putts that I missed affected my whole game throughout.”

Kim, 24, who won last week’s Shell Houston Open in a playoff, came out of nowhere and fired a tournament-record 65 to prove he has talent enough to challenge for the title.

The three-time PGA Tour winner played a four-hole stretch starting on the 13th in only 12 shots – an eagle and three birdies ― and finished with two strong pars into a 12-under.

“I knew I was coming from pretty far back and Phil’s obviously playing great and Lee was playing well,” Kim said. “But I grinded. I hung in there and I’m proud of the way I stuck it out.”

Meanwhile, Choi hopes that the top-10 double is likely to motivate Asian golfers in their title bid at major events.

“In the past, it was the mindset of the Asian players that when it comes to the Masters, there was a fear factor there, that we can’t do it,” he said.

“But now I hope that this gives motivation for the younger players, other players, that they can do it at big tournaments like the Masters.”

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