After Ram Leaves and a 500 Million Prize... 'Lucky Man' Comforts

Ram LIV Golf Transfer Secures Dramatic Tour Card
Sony Open Final Day No Penalty on 18th Hole
Ties for 4th Place with 500 Million Won Prize Money

A streak of luck.

This is said about Carl Yuan (China), ranked 135th in the world. In short, he is a 'man of luck.' He missed out on a full PGA Tour card. He debuted on the dream stage last season but only managed two 'top 10' finishes in 30 tournaments. His FedEx Cup ranking remained at 126th, narrowly missing the chance to retain his tour card. To stay in the PGA Tour's top tier, players must finish within the top 125 in the FedEx Cup rankings.

Karl Yuan is taking his second shot from the bunker on the final 18th hole of the Sony Open's last 4th round.
[Photo by PGA Tour]

However, good news came last month. Jon Rahm (Spain), ranked 3rd in the world, announced his sudden move to LIV Golf. Yuan, who had just missed the cut for a full card by a narrow margin, moved up one spot to 125th in the FedEx Cup rankings thanks to Rahm's departure. With Rahm out, Yuan naturally experienced a 'status upgrade.' He was preparing for the PGA Tour Qualifying (Q) School but regained his full card. He also received an invitation to the 'fifth major,' The Players Championship, in March.

The luck did not end there. Yuan played his first tournament of the 2024 season last week at the PGA Tour Sony Open held at Waialae Country Club (par 70, 7,044 yards) in Honolulu, Hawaii. After shooting 4-under 66 on the first day and an exciting 5-under 65 on the second day, he tied for the lead with Byeong-Hun An. Although he faltered with an even-par 70 on the third day, he fired a 7-under 63 on the final day to finish tied for 4th place (16-under 264), just one stroke behind winner Grayson Murray (USA).

This was his second career 'top 5' finish since placing 4th at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship last November. He also earned a substantial prize of $373,500 (about 500 million KRW). Yuan received another 'gift' on the final hole, the 18th (par 5). His tee shot landed in a fairway bunker. With 239 yards remaining, he hit a hybrid for his second shot, which pushed right and disappeared toward the gallery stands. Despite searching diligently, the ball could not be found. Yuan was granted relief as a temporary immovable obstruction (TIO). He dropped the ball without penalty at the spot where the ball disappeared and finished with a '3-on 2-putt,' avoiding any loss of strokes.

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