But the ever-smiling Koreas was also happy, for her friend.
"I'm very happy for Inbee, my friend, as she won this week. I could see that she was really nervous, and she is usually not nervous at all. I'm very happy my friend won this week," said Choi.
Choi led for three rounds with an opening 65, followed by a 67 and a 68. But her final round of par golf did not help her cause.
Yesterday, she started on 13-under and had birdies on the third, fifth and eighth, but a bogey on the ninth and a double bogey on the 17th marred her chances.
"Inbee played well even though she was nervous on the last couple of holes (Inbeen bogied the 17th and 18th). She was six-under at a time and that was a good charge in the final.
"I Just couldn't play my normal game. But I like to look forward and that's another tournament (LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship, Oct 19-21).
"Im flying off to Korea tonight to have a good rest because I have a good feeling about my game still.
"I want to play well in Korea," said the dethroned champion.
She had trouble in the back nine, and attributed it to luck.
"I think I had bad luck as on the 17th, I just couldn't make my ball work for me."
