Byeong-Hun An is in Maryland this week for the Quicken Loans National, hosted by Tiger Woods, as the tournament makes a return to Congressional Country Club for its 10th edition.
The South Korean shot to fame in 2015 by winning the Europan Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, before collecting the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award at the end of the season. The 24-year-old rose over 100 places in the world rankings and has since tried his hand on the PGA Tour this season, a chance afforded by his current world ranking of 27.
His fortunes have been good so far this season and he has a cumulative tally of six top-10 finishes between both tours, including a tie for second at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The 2009 US Amateur champion ranks 20th in the Race to Dubai with four top-10s this season.
He has accumulated nearly $900,000 on the PGA Tour, but does not list in the FedEx Cup standings, because he is not a member of the American-based tour.
The Seoul-born golfer will be aiming to take the next step and win a tournament in the US, following in the footsteps of countryman KJ Choi, who was the trend-setter for Korean golfers.
An is coming off a promising US Open showing, having finished in a tie for 23rd at Oakmont Country Club. A week prior he tied for 11th at the Memorial Tournament.
The Orlando resident ranks sixth on the PGA Tour for birdie average and 33rd for driving distance, but struggled to find fairways with the big stick. His sand save percentage sits at a modest 52,94 percent, meaning accuracy into the greens is crucial.
An will hope to join the likes of KJ Choi and YE Yang and become the third player from his homeland to win in America. It seems to be a mater of time before the youngster breaks through.
