Byeong Hun An strides confidently into the weekend at the Genesis Championship, clutching a two-stroke lead as he chases his first win on home turf in nearly a decade.
Flashing back to 2015, An seized the DP World Tour’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award and is now showing the same championship mettle that got him there.
Starting the day just a shot shy of the lead held by Ivan Cantero, An surged ahead with a sterling six-under 66 at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, pushing him to 11 under overall.
Despite a brief stumble with consecutive bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes, An regained his form, nailing the front nine in three under with five birdies.
His resolve hardened on the back nine, with pivotal birdies on the 15th and 16th holes that stretched his lead over Francesco Laporta of Italy and South Africa’s Casey Jarvis, who are tied for second at nine under.
An’s last taste of victory on Korean soil dates back to the 2015 Shinhan Donghae Open, which followed closely on the heels of his historic win at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where he became the first Asian golfer to win the title.
The leaderboard is tightly packed behind him, featuring Cantero, Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia, Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino, and American Johannes Veerman, all knotted at eight under.
This event marks the climax of the Back 9 and represents the final chance for players to secure their spots for the 2025 Race to Dubai.
Keep an eye on Ivan Cantero as he’s making strides to climb from 117th up to 94th in the rankings.
Not far behind in the hustle is Englishman Matt Southgate, who started the week ranked 127th. He’s now gunning for the 110th spot as he holds his ground in the top ten.
Spain’s Alejandro Del Rey and South Korea’s Tom Kim, who’s sitting pretty at 25th in the world rankings, are keeping things interesting in eighth place.
They’re adding to the buzz and building up anticipation for a thrilling finish at the Genesis Championship.
With the tournament reaching its peak, fans and players alike are on the edge of their seats, ready for what promises to be an electrifying end.
