Choe chooses to go pro

It seems Cactus Shadows High School girls golfer Esther Choe ruffled a few feathers down south when she recently backed out of her commitment to play at the University of Arizona.

Choe, one of the best junior golfers in the country and future star in the sport, had committed to the Tucson school during her junior year of high school and had plans to honor her     scholarship until deciding to go pro last month.

But U of A coach Greg Allen told various media outlets that “there has got to be more honesty from these players,” adding that the Wildcats turned away “three or four players” in order to open up a scholarship for Choe.

That’s one of the double‑standards in college sports where the athletes’ commitment is only as good as their word, while coaches are stuck with the mess to clean up.

But that’s the way it is, so it’s tough to fault Choe for making the choice. The golfer reportedly changed her mind about going to college after speaking with friend Morgan Pressel at the Kraft Nabisco Championship earlier this spring.

Choe told Golfweek that Pressel told her playing in the pros was “better than being in class.” Chances are Pressel might have mentioned a little something about some money, too.

If Choe’s future is as bright as it seems, she’ll make plenty of that. And if she ever wants to go back to college, she won’t have to rely on a scholarship to pay her way.

The immediate plan, however, is to play in some junior and amateur events over the summer. She will turn 18 in August, and will likely officially go pro sometime after that.

Choe has held her own in some pro experience in her young career. She has already qualified for two U.S. Women’s Opens and made the cut at the LPGA Safeway International, where she led one of the world’s top golfers, Annika Sorenstam, over the first three rounds.

The irony of the final feat: Sorenstam played at U of A.

Unlike Sorenstam, however, the Wildcats found out the hard way with Choe that recruiting the best players isn’t always the best option.

Choe, though, made the right choice.

NOT THAT IT matters what I think, but I hope nobody in the Valley watches another NBA game the rest of the season. Unless you’re a Spurs fan.

Watching the Phoenix Suns lose their playoff series to the Spurs was painful enough, but the way it happened with the unjust suspensions leaves this empty, sick feeling in my stomach.

I actually wondered whether Spurs fans felt guilty at all about the way their team won the series. But after hearing that Robert Horry received a 30‑second standing ovation when he returned from his suspension for Game 1 against the Utah Jazz, I believe I got my answer.