Tag: Ben An

Will rangefinders, GPS devices speed up play in golf? One PGA Tour pro says, ‘(expletive) no’

Will rangefinders, GPS devices speed up play in golf? One PGA Tour pro says, “(expletive) no.”

On Tuesday the PGA of America made a major announcement that sent the golf world into a bit of a frenzy.

Beginning this year, the organization will become the first major body in the game to allow the use of distance-measuring devices, such as laser rangefinders and GSP systems, at its three major events: the PGA Championship, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

PGA of America president Jim Richerson said, “We’re always interested in methods that may help improve the flow of play during our Championships,” with the idea that players and caddies can find their yardages faster, thus speeding up the pace of play.

Makes sense, right? Not to one PGA Tour pro.

Tell us how you really feel.

Byeong Hun An, also known as Ben An, became the youngest player to ever win the U.S. Amateur in 2009 at 17 years old. Now 29, An is still looking for his first PGA Tour win, but has found success on the European Tour. The South Korean, who currently resides in Orlando, won the 2015 BMW PGA Championship and was named the Tour’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year in 2016.

Will Zalatoris had an opposing view ahead of this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

“You know, I think hopefully it speeds up the game. I know that that’s been a big topic of conversation for a long time. Monday qualifiers have been doing it for a couple years now, we’re able to have range finders. So I don’t see a down side to it,” said Zalatoris. “I’m hoping it helps, I’m all for whatever makes the game faster. I don’t really see a down side to it.”

So, who’s right? Only time will tell.

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Missed cuts. A neck injury. A practice-round nightmare. Then a 65 to open American Express

Byeong Hun An fired a bogey-free 7-under 65 at PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course in the first round of the American Express on Thursday.

LA QUINTA, Calif. – Ben An missed five of seven cuts in the fall portion of the season, battled a nagging neck injury earlier this week, and lost so many balls during one of his pre-tournament practice rounds that he needed to borrow golf balls from fellow South Korean native Seong-Yul Noh to play the final few holes.

So, of course, he went out and fired a bogey-free 7-under 65 at PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course in the first round of the American Express.

An, who started on the back nine, rolled in three birdies in a row beginning at the par-5 11th hole. He made his longest putt of the day, an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-3 12th, and said the rest of his birdies were from no more than 3 feet.

An spent his off-season at home taking care of his 11-month son, Sandy, and working on swing changes he started to make in late November with his new instructor, Sean Foley, who used to teach Tiger Woods and Justin Rose.

“Obviously it’s paying off, I’m hitting it a lot better and I’m hitting some good shots and still making some progress out there,” An said. “So yeah, we’re happy where we’re going right now and hopefully it gets better.”

The American Express: Leaderboard

An trails Brandon Hagy, who bogeyed his first hole before rattling off nine birdies en route to shooting 8-under 64 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course. Hagy was an alternate for the tournament and didn’t get into the field until Jon Rahm withdrew on Monday.

The big-name players in the field this week mostly struggled. Brooks Koepka shot even-par 72, Rickie Fowler, who hasn’t recorded a top-10 on Tour since last year’s American Express, birdied the final hole for 73 and tournament host Phil Mickelson struggled to 74 and headed straight for the range.

The American Express
Phil Mickelson plays his second shot on the 11th hole during the first round of The American Express at PGA West TPC Nicklaus Tournament Course. Photo by Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

All three of those players, along with An and Hagy, head to the tougher Stadium Course on Friday, where Si Woo Kim shot the lowest score in the first round, a 66. When An played his practice round there earlier this week, he dunked six balls in the water.

“I do that more often than you would think,” he said. “I had to borrow like two, three balls for the last three holes. It was my caddie’s fault. He only brought like five balls out there.”

An, 29, has been a steady yet unspectacular performer since turning pro in 2011. He hasn’t won since the 2015 BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour and still considers notching his maiden PGA Tour title his top goal this season.

“Probably same for the last five years, win the tournament and try and play in the Tour Championship, that’s my goal,” he said.

When asked to explain what’s held him back from tasting victory, An said, “It just shows how tough it is to win out here, so, I’m not too worried about it and if I hit it like today and putt like today then I’m sure I can get a win this year.”

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