European Challenge Tour graduate Byeong-Hun An continued his startling rise in the world of golf by winning the biggest title of his career in record-breaking fashion in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.
Korean An was one of the star performers at last year’s National Bank of Oman Golf Classic at Almouj Golf – The Wave in Muscat, where he finished tied fifth to follow up from his sixth place finish in the inaugural event the previous year.
He went on to finish fourth in the season-ending Challenge Tour Grand Final, which was last year played in Dubai, to secure one of the 15 cards on offer for this season’s European Tour. Having won his maiden title with tournament record total of 21 under par 267 and rocketed to third place in The Race to Dubai in a stunning debut season, it’s clear that his experiences on the Challenge Tour were the perfect preparation.
“It’s like a fifth Major to me,” said An after firing a closing round of 65 to finish six strokes ahead of Thongchai Jaidee and Miguel Angel Jimenez, beating the previous tournament record by two shots. “It’s the biggest title I’ve won and it gets me into a lot of events. This is life-changing.
“Playing on the Challenge Tour in events like the National Bank of Oman on tough courses like Almouj Golf over the past few years definitely helped prepare me to play with the big boys on the main Tour. It really helped me step my game up a level.”
The spotlight was well and truly on An during a scintillating final day at Wentworth as the 23 year old broke away from joint overnight leader Francesco Molinari with a stunning bogey-free round that featured five birdies and an eagle on the par five 12th. But playing under pressure is nothing new for a player who, in 2009, at just 17 years old, became the youngest winner of the US Amateur Championship.
“I think I handle the pressure pretty well, I’m quite laid-back and I just try to concentrate on playing one shot at a time,” he said.
The Challenge Tour event at Almouj Golf – The Wave has now been promoted to become the season-ending NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, meaning it will play host to the top 45 players on the newly-named Road to Oman Rankings from Wednesday November 4-7, and An believes its elevated status is thoroughly deserved.
“The National Bank of Oman Golf Classic was a great event,” he said. “I finished sixth there in 2013 and fifth last year, so I have nothing but good memories of the tournament and the people there. The Wave course can play really tough if the wind picks up, but there are some birdie holes. It can be daunting in the wind, though – it totally changes the course.
“The overall organisation of the event was first-class and the hospitality was excellent. In one way, I’m happy that I don’t have to go back there because it means I’m now playing on The European Tour, but on the other hand I’m sad because I enjoyed it so much.
“I’d definitely like to go back there and maybe one day in the future it will host a European Tour event. I think it’s a good fit to be the final event of the Challenge Tour season. It’s a good test for everyone and a really well-run tournament.”
