The opening round of the Genesis Scottish Open is in the books, and there’s just one thing to say: it’s tough to beat coffee golf.
Byeong Hun An had himself a day at The Renaissance Club, posting a bogey-free 9-under 61 to take the outright 18-hole lead. Looking for his first win on the PGA Tour, An leads Davis Riley, who’s alone in second, by two shots.
Riley is already a winner on Tour this season, teaming up with Nick Hardy to win the Zurich Classic in April. The University of Alabama product was able to keep the scorecard clean Thursday, signing for a 7-under 63. His round included a stretch of five straight birdies on Nos. 3-7. This is Riley’s first appearance at The Renaissance Club.
If you missed any of the action Thursday, no worries, we have you covered. Here’s everything you need to know from the opening round of the Genesis Scottish Open in North Berwick, Scotland.
He twice previously lost a playoff on the PGA Tour but now he has a win on the Korn Ferry Tour.
He’s played in the Olympics (2016) and a Presidents Cup (2019). He was close to winning twice on the PGA Tour before falling short in a playoff. He does have three international wins but on Sunday, Byeong Hun An broke through with a win at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Lecom Suncoast Classic, his first win anywhere in seven years.
An carded a final-round 69 which included a bogey on the final hole at Lakewood National GC Commander in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. His four-day total of 17-under 267 (65-66-67-69) was good enough to win by a shot over a foursome of Seonghyeon Kim, Scott Harrington, Ben Griffin and MJ Daffue.
Eight other golfers tied for sixth at 15 under, including Michael Gellerman, whose double-bogey 6 on 18 proved costly. Gellerman started the day with his first 54-hole lead on the Korn Ferry Tour in 65 starts.
The Korn Ferry Tour takes a month off before returning with back-to-back events in Louisiana at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open in Broussard and the Lake Charles Championship.
Not even the team format and a pairing with World No. 4 Collin Morikawa could turn around the fortunes of Matthew Wolff.
AVONDALE, La. – Not even the team format of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and a pairing with World No. 4 Collin Morikawa could turn around the fortunes of Matthew Wolff.
They were among the notables to miss the cut at TPC Louisiana.
The field of 80 two-man teams was trimmed on Friday night to the top 33 and ties. That meant it took a score of 6-under 138 (T-24) to play the weekend. Nine teams missed by one stroke and were just three strokes away from being in the top 10 heading into the weekend. It shows just how fine a line it is between success and failure on the PGA Tour – and making a check.
Here are three of the top teams who won’t be playing on the weekend.
Byeong Hun An roasted himself on Twitter after making an 11 on the famous 17th hole at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
The first round of the Players Championship has been a very wet one already as we’ve seen a ton of tee shots on the legendary par-3 17th hole land in the water.
We told you earlier about Kevn Na’s disaster of a time on that hole in which he chipped in for an 8 after hitting three shots in the water. He later withdrew from the tournament with a back injury.
Well, a little later in the day Byeong Hun An walked over to the 17 tee and made Na’s 8 look like nothing. An hit four balls in the water and ended up with an 11, which is the second-highest score to ever be recorded on the island hole (during the Players Championship, I’m sure amateurs who have played the course have fared worse).
An had the perfect tweet after his round, though, as he was able to make fun of himself a bit.
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.”
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.
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.”
Byeong Hun An aced the 189-yard 11th hole during the final round at TPC Harding Park on Sunday.
Byeong Hun An recorded the first hole-in-one at the 2020 PGA Championship on Sunday.
An got his first-ever ace on the 11th hole during the final round at TPC Harding Park. The hole was playing 189 yards and An’s ball bounced four times on the green before gently rolling into the cup.
With no fans on site, An – as well as the rest of us, for that matter – missed out on what would have been a huge roar from the crowd. But there was one exulted call from someone on the course; watch the video below for the reaction.
It’s the 32nd ace on the PGA Tour this season and the first since Bronson Burgoon had a hole-in-one at the Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
An’s ace is the 28th at the PGA Championship since 1983. Lucas Bjerregaard had one during the 2019 PGA Championship.
Neither Dahmen, who is No. 31 in Golfweek/Sagarin, nor Bezuidenhout, who is No. 75th, has won on the PGA Tour.
Dahmen said he fully expected to play well at TPC Southwind.
“I expect myself to be in the top 10,” he said. “This is a great golf course for me, you don’t have to be a bomber. Iron play is important out here, driving in the fairway and that’s what I do well. I expected to play well this week. This course fits everything I’m supposed to be good at.”
For Dahmen, this week has special meaning because it’s his first appearance in a World Golf Championships field.
“Well, first is nice, so that means a lot there,” said Dahmen, who earned his PGA Tour card in 2017. “World rankings points are huge. I’m only a couple good weeks away from the Tour Championship as well, so that means a lot. That’s all stuff you add up Sunday evening. Hopefully, I don’t think about it too much (Sunday), but yeah if I get off to a hot start, then all those things come with it, for sure.”
In May, during a friendly round of golf at Mesa Country Club in Arizona, Dahmen set the course record with a 58. He said Saturday’s 65 felt very similar.
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“I hit it the same way, I just made a ton of 4- to 10-footers all day,” Dahmen said. “I made a couple longer putts today, but kind of similar. When you get hot you just try to stay out of your own way at that point.”
Bezuidenhout, who plays on the European Tour, made seven birdies Saturday and one bogey. His final birdie came on the last hole of his round and came from 19 feet away from the cup.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.
Here’s why Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele are among our picks for the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale.
The PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open will bring us right up to kickoff of Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs Sunday evening at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. First, Rickie Fowler returns to TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, to battle another loaded field led by world No. 3 Jon Rahm.
The key stats for the Waste Management Phoenix Open are:
Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
Bogey Avoidance
Good Drives Gained
Strokes Gained: Scrambling
My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 24 rounds on courses featuring Bermuda Greens.
Waste Management Phoenix Open – Tier 1
Jon Rahm during the Farmers Insurance Open. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)
Rahm is the betting favorite at BetMGM, and for good reason. Not only is he the top-ranked golfer from the Official World Golf Ranking, but he’s coming off a runner-up finish to Marc Leishman at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open. He hasn’t finished worse than 10th in his last five worldwide events.
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Xander Schauffele (+1800)
Schauffele was one of the biggest disappointments of the week at Torrey Pines, as he missed the cut for the first time since the Northern Trust in August. He returns to TPC Scottsdale having tied for 10th last year (with Rahm). He also tied for 17th in 2018. Schauffele ranks ninth in the stat model, ranking in the top 10 of four-of-the-five key stats.
Waste Management Phoenix Open – Tier 2
Byeong Hun An during the Wyndham Championship. (Rob Kinnan – USA TODAY Sports)
Byeong Hun An (+6600)
An is the leader of the stat model; the 49th-ranked golfer in the world ranks fourth in the field among those with at least five rounds played at TPC Scottsdale in total strokes gained per round, according to Data Golf. He’s still seeking a PGA Tour win, but he hasn’t finished worse than T-23 in three appearances at this event.
Ryan Moore (+6600)
Moore missed the cut at this event the last two years. He enters this year’s tournament ranked eighth by the stat model, and he’s coming off a T-6 at the American Express. His ball-striking and play off the tee are well suited to this venue.
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Waste Management Phoenix Open – Longshots
Rory Sabbatini during the 2020 Sony Open. (Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
Rory Sabbatini (+10000)
Sabbatini slipped to 88th by the OWGR with last week’s missed cut at the Farmers. It snapped a streak of seven straight made cuts dating to the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He’s second-best in the field in Bogey Avoidance, and he’ll be able to capitalize on the many scoring chances at TPC Scottsdale.
Adam Hadwin (+11000)
Hadwin has made the cut here each of the last four years with a top finish of T-12 in 2017. The Canadian hasn’t played since finishing in a tie for 68th at the RSM Classic while attending to the birth of his first child. He has slipped to 52nd in the world in his time off and now has fresh motivation at a familiar venue.
Complete odds
Player
Odds
Jon Rahm
+600
Justin Thomas
+800
Webb Simpson
+1400
Hideki Matsuyama
+1600
Rickie Fowler
+1600
Xander Schauffele
+1800
Bryson DeChambeau
+2500
Matt Kuchar
+2500
Gary Woodland
+2800
Tony Finau
+2800
Sungjae Im
+3000
Brandt Snedeker
+3300
Bubba Watson
+3300
Collin Morikawa
+3300
Branden Grace
+4500
Viktor Hovland
+4500
Cameron Smith
+5000
Jordan Spieth
+5000
Ryan Palmer
+5000
Chez Reavie
+6000
Byeong Hun An
+6600
Daniel Berger
+6600
Jason Kokrak
+6600
Kevin Na
+6600
Matthew Wolff
+6600
Russell Knox
+6600
Ryan Moore
+6600
Corey Conners
+7000
Brian Harman
+8000
J.B. Holmes
+8000
J.T. Poston
+8000
Keegan Bradley
+8000
Vaughn Taylor
+8000
Andrew Landry
+9000
Andrew Putnam
+9000
Billy Horschel
+9000
Brendan Steele
+9000
Bud Cauley
+9000
Ted Hoge
+9000
Charley Hoffman
+10000
Emiliano Grillo
+10000
Harry Higgs
+10000
Lanto Griffin
+10000
Rory Sabbatini
+10000
Sung Kang
+10000
Zach Johnson
+10000
Adam Hadwin
+11000
Beau Hossler
+11000
Max Homa
+11000
Harold Varner III
+12500
Harris English
+12500
Joel Dahmen
+12500
Kiradech Aphibarnrat
+12500
Martin Laird
+12500
Russell Henley
+12500
Sebastián Muñoz
+12500
Aaron Wise
+15000
Carlos Ortiz
+15000
Charl Schwartzel
+15000
Dylan Frittelli
+15000
Nick Taylor
+15000
Patrick Rodgers
+15000
Scott Piercy
+15000
Sepp Straka
+15000
Talor Gooch
+15000
Chesson Hadley
+17500
Jimmy Walker
+17500
Luke List
+17500
Nate Lashley
+17500
Sebastian Cappelen
+17500
Adam Long
+20000
Adam Schenk
+20000
Brian Gay
+20000
Brian Stuard
+20000
Cameron Tringale
+20000
Danny Lee
+20000
Grayson Murray
+20000
Kevin Chappell
+20000
Kevin Streelman
+20000
Kevin Tway
+20000
Kyle Stanley
+20000
Matt Jones
+20000
Sam Burns
+20000
Sam Ryder
+20000
Sean O’Hair
+20000
Tyler Duncan
+20000
Chris Kirk
+22500
Aaron Baddeley
+25000
Austin Cook
+25000
Brice Garnett
+25000
Chris Stroud
+25000
J.J. Spaun
+25000
John Huh
+25000
Kyoung-Hoon Lee
+25000
Mark Hubbard
+25000
Ryan Armour
+25000
Si Woo Kim
+25000
Troy Merritt
+25000
Wyndham Clark
+25000
C.T. Pan
+30000
James Hahn
+30000
Jamie Lovemark
+30000
Keith Mitchell
+30000
Lucas Bjerregaard
+30000
Luke Donald
+30000
Matt Every
+30000
Patton Kizzire
+30000
Peter Malnati
+30000
Steve Stricker
+30000
Tom Potter, Jr.
+30000
Trey Mullinax
+30000
Greg Chalmers
+35000
Mackenzie Hughes
+35000
Scott Harrington
+35000
Brandon Hagy
+40000
Hudson Swafford
+40000
K.J. Choi
+50000
Kevin Stadler
+50000
Kyle Westmoreland
+50000
Roger Sloan
+50000
Satoshi Kodaira
+50000
Scottie Scheffler
+50000
Seung-Yul Noh
+50000
Bo Van Pelt
+75000
Colt Knost
+75000
Marty Jertson
+75000
Martin Trainer
+100000
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Justin Thomas hit a 17-footer for birdie on the final hole to earn another point alongside Tiger Woods at the Presidents Cup.
This match will forever be known for the tandem putter drop.
After cruising to a point during the first round four-ball matches at the Presidents Cup, Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas were in a dogfight for 18 holes during Friday’s (Thursday night in the U.S.) foursomes match. With a tied match on the final hole, Thomas made a clutch birdie putt from 17 feet to seal the second point in as many days for the pairing, 1 up.
Woods and Thomas went 2 up through the first five holes at Royal Melbourne, but the Internationals’ Hideki Matsuyama and Byeong Hun An clawed back to the tie the match at the turn.
The Internationals then went 1 up over the next three holes, but an American birdie – their first since the fifth hole – tied the match on the 13th. Both teams then went bogey-birdie-par-par over the next four holes, taking the all-square match to the 18th hole.
Thomas’ drive missed the fairway to the right, giving Woods and approach shot from the baked-out rough. The Internationals were in the fairway then found the green, 25 feet from the middle-left pin. Woods threw his approach into the air and he walked after it, ultimately coming to rest 17 feet behind the hole.
Matsuyama’s birdie putt missed just slightly long and right, opening the door for Thomas to save the day and earn a point with a clutch birdie.
“I don’t know. I’m speechless,” said an emotional Thomas on Golf Channel after the putt, with Woods at his side. “I’ve made a lot of, been fortunate to hit a lot of big putts. To do it with my captain and maybe turn the tide in this Presidents Cup is awesome.”
A few minutes later, Rickie Fowler made a putt to earn a half point for the U.S., the final piece of a late American rally. The International team led 4-1 after Day 1 and will take a 6½-3½ lead into Day 3.
Jason Day has withdrawn from the Presidents Cup International Team and captain Ernie Els has chosen Byeong Hun An as replacement.
Presidents Cup captain Ernie Els has chosen Byeong Hun An to replace an injured Jason Day on the International Team, the Presidents Cup announced Friday.
Day, who has a 5-11-4 Presidents Cup record, withdrew from the Dec. 9-15 event at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club due to a back injury. The event would have been the Australian’s fifth Presidents Cup appearance.
In a statement released Friday, Day said he hopes to return to Australia to play soon, but in the meantime, wishes all Presidents Cup competitors luck.
Day also withdrew from the Australian Open, Dec. 5-8.
“I’m quite disappointed I won’t be coming home to play in either the Australian Open in Sydney or the Presidents Cup the following week in Melbourne,” Day said. “I was quite looking forward to both events. I had been prepping all week in Palm Springs when I was injured.
“Frustratingly, I’ve been through back problems before and my medical team decided it best to shut down all practice and play. Therefore, I wanted to inform Golf Australia as well as provide Ernie as much time as possible to best prepare our International Team for Royal Melbourne.”
“We wish Jason well and hope his back recovers quickly. We were eager to have Jason as part of the team at Royal Melbourne and his experience will be missed,” Els said in a statement. “The good news is that there were a number of strong and qualified players available to choose from when I made my captain’s selections. To have someone as steady and talented as Ben An puts us in a great position to succeed. Ben played extremely well this fall and throughout the year and he will fit in nicely on this team.”
The 28-year-old An competed in 22 PGA Tour events last season and had three top 10 finishes with his best coming from a third-place finish at Wyndham Championship. An also earned $1,990,033 in 2019.
With the addition of An, who will compete in his first Presidents Cup, the International Team will feature two Korean players. An joins Sungjae Im, the 2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
“I’m sorry to hear that Jason has been forced to withdraw from the International Team and I wish him a speedy recovery. It was a huge surprise to receive a call from Ernie who told me that I was in the team,” An said in a statement. “It has been a goal of mine all season to be on the International Team and I am honored to play in my first Presidents Cup. I’m looking forward to joining Ernie and the rest of the team in Melbourne and, more importantly, contribute to the International Team’s goal to win the Cup.”
The International Team move follows Brooks Koepka’s withdrawal from the U.S. Team due to a lagging left knee injury. Team captain Tiger Woods selected Rickie Fowler as a replacement on Nov. 20.
