An Byeong-hun, Kim Seong-hyeon earn PGA Tour cards

Golf

Published: 16 Aug. 2022, 16:15

An Byeong-hun, Kim Seong-hyeon earn PGA Tour cards

An Byeong-hun, left and Kim Seong-hyeon pose for a photo after the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna at The Club at Indian Creek on Sunday in Omaha, Nebraska. [PGA TOUR]

It was a good weekend for Korean golf, as An Byeong-hun and Kim Seong-hyeon earned their PGA Tour cards for the 2022-23 season, while Im Sung-jae, Kim Joo-hyung, Lee Kyoung-hoon and Kim Si-woo all secured their spots at the BMW Championship, the second leg of the FedExCup Playoffs.

With the top 25 golfers on the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Eligibility Points List earning PGA Tour cards for next season, Kim and An secured their ticket by finishing in the No. 12 and No. 13 spots.

After joining the PGA Tour in 2016, An returns next season after falling back to the Korn Ferry Tour last season when he finished at No. 164 in the 2020-21 FedExCup Standings.

An won his third event on the Korn Ferry Tour this season, the Lecom Suncoast Classic, in February and tied for second at the Veritex Bank Championship in April to earn back his seat on the PGA Tour.

"Obviously my main goal was to go back to the PGA Tour, but I also want to play better," An said on Sunday. "I want to win a PGA Tour event. I want to play better in the major, so those are my main goals. It's a journey in my career. The motivation is always in me. I always want to be best golfer in the world. That's what everyone is playing for."

Kim Seong-hyeon will play the 2022-23 season as a rookie, after finishing in the top 10 at four Korn Ferry events. His two best finishes were tied for second at the Lecom Suncoast Classic in February and a solo second-place finish at the Lake Charles Championship in March.

Kim Seong-hyeon turned professional when he was 18 and won a Korean Tour trophy in 2020. He also won on the Japan Golf Tour last year, before deciding to venture to the United States.

"When I first came here to compete on the Korn Ferry Tour, I promised myself I wanted to be consistent, and that consistency really paid off," Kim Seong-hyeon said on Sunday. "I think everything came down as planned. I'm surprised it all came quickly, but I know I worked hard on and off the course to be where I am."

Im Sung-jae hits off the sixth tee during the final round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament on Sunday in Memphis, Tennessee. [AP/YONHAP]

The four Koreans on the current 2021-22 PGA Tour are also thriving, all faring well enough in the first leg of the 2022 FedExCup Playoffs to make it to the next leg, the BMW Championship starting Thursday.

After the top 125 golfers on the FedExCup standings competed in the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Im finished 12th, Kim Joo-hyung tied for 13th, Lee tied for 20th and Kim Si-woo tied for 42nd.

The field for the BMW Championship now drops to the top 70 on the FedExCup standings this week, with only the top 30 advancing to the final Tour Championship, where the FedExCup Champion is crowned. Advancement is based on FedExCup ranking, not on a golfer's position in each individual tournament.

While big changes are possible during the FedExCup playoffs due to the large number of points available, Im is currently in a secure 11th position on the FedExCup standings. Kim Joo-hyung is at No. 26, Lee is at No. 34 and Kim Si-woo is No. 55.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]