South Korean sensation An Byeong-hun urges Asians to try luck in Europe after PGA Championship stunner
South Korea’s An Byeong-hun has urged Asian players to try their luck on the European Tour after his breakthrough win at Wentworth on Sunday. An marched to a six-shot win in the Tour’s flagship event, the European PGA Championship, and earned himself a three-year exemption in the process.
South Korea’s An Byeong-hun has urged Asian players to try their luck on the European Tour after his breakthrough win at Wentworth on Sunday.
An marched to a six-shot win in the Tour’s flagship event, the European PGA Championship, and earned himself a three-year exemption in the process.
The 23-year-old went into the final round in a tie for the lead with Italian Francesco Molinari and pieced together a nerveless seven-under-par 65 to finish with a 21-under total of 267 on a grey but humid day.
An’s triumph earned him a cheque for US$917,000 and meant he joined British pair Bernard Gallacher(1969) and Scott Drummond (2004) as rookie winners of the tour’s flagship event.
My friends, who live in Asia or play the Asian Tour, I’m always telling them the European Tour is great
Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez (67) and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (69) shared second place, two ahead of Briton Chris Wood who recorded a hole-in-one at the 14th on the way to a closing 66.
An, who won the US Amateur aged 17 in 2009, is in his first year on the full circuit after spending three seasons on the second-tier Challenge Tour.