"Rising An Byeong-hun: 'I Will Aim Until the Final PO Match'"

Official Interview Before PO Round 1: FedEx Cup Ranking 57th... Aiming for Top 30 in Final Round "Putter Change Good, Best Golf Period"

It is An Byeong-hun's strong confidence.

In an interview with domestic media and online on the 8th (local time), he said, "There are many areas that need improvement, but I think I am playing the best golf of my career right now," adding, "My distance has increased, and my accuracy has not declined." He tied for second place at the Wyndham Championship (total prize money $7.6 million), the final regular-season event of the PGA Tour 2022/2023 season, held last week at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. This is his best result this year and his fourth runner-up finish in his career.

Byeonghun An expressed confidence in achieving good results ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first round of the playoffs.

Last month, An Byeong-hun finished tied for third at the Scottish Open, and he has improved his world ranking from around 130 in mid-July to 57. He advanced to the FedEx Cup Playoffs (PO) ranked 37th. If he performs well in the first and second rounds of the PO, he can qualify for the Tour Championship, the final event, which only the top 30 players attend. The PGA Tour will hold the first round of the PO, the FedEx St. Jude Championship (total prize money $20 million), in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, on the 10th, where players ranked up to 70 in the FedEx Cup standings will compete.

An Byeong-hun will step onto the PO stage for the first time in three years since 2020. He said, "My goal is to perform well in the remaining first and second rounds and advance to the final event," explaining, "Compared to two years ago, my iron shots have increased by about 15 yards, my driver ball speed has increased by about 10 miles per hour, and my accuracy has not dropped much." He added, "Mentally, I feel more mature than two to three years ago," and "The experience of losing my tour card has been an opportunity to become mentally stronger."

An Byeong-hun is seeing significant benefits from changing his putter. Since the Travelers Championship at the end of June, he has been using a broomstick putter, putting as if sweeping with a broom, and achieved top rankings at the Wyndham Championship and the Scottish Open. He smiled and said, "It’s not that changing the putter alone led to good results, but I think the decision to change the putter was a good one."

He also expressed gratitude to coach Sean Foley, with whom he has worked since 2021. Foley coached the 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA) from 2010 to 2014. He said, "Coach Foley calls me for about five minutes every day, reminding me not only about technical aspects but also mentally how I should approach the game," adding, "He instills confidence that if I perform at my best, I can reach the Tour Championship."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.