Byung-Hoon An 5 Under Par... "I Like the European Tour"

World No. 36 An Byeong-hun is on a thrilling march.

Ahn Byung-hoon

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On the 24th, at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Songdo, Incheon (par 72, 7,470 yards), the first round of the Genesis Championship (total prize money $4 million) kicked off, where he shot 5-under 67 to enter the race for the title. Until last year, the tournament was held as part of the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour, but this year it is co-hosted with the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour). A total of 120 players participated, including 30 from the KPGA Tour and 90 from the DP World Tour. The winner will receive a prize of $680,000 (approximately 940 million KRW) and two-year exemptions on both the DP World Tour and KPGA Tour.

An Byeong-hun carded seven birdies and two bogeys. Starting at the 10th hole, he made his first birdie at the 14th hole (both par 4s), then recorded consecutive birdies on the 16th and 17th holes, reducing three strokes in the front nine. In the back nine, he continued his momentum with three consecutive birdies from the 2nd to the 4th holes. However, it was regrettable that he lost one stroke by making one birdie and two bogeys over the remaining five holes. This marks his second career victory after 9 years and 5 months since winning the DP World Tour major BMW PGA Championship in May 2015.

An Byeong-hun has delivered a strong performance this season. He finished runner-up at the PGA Tour Sony Open and made five top-10 finishes. He also demonstrated his strength by competing in the FedEx Cup Playoffs (PO), reaching the final event, the Tour Championship. Additionally, alongside Kim Joo-hyung, he showcased the power of Korean golf by participating in the Paris Olympics and the Presidents Cup.

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