Going low on the DP World Tour is something Byeong Hun An (Ben to his English-speaking followers) has always been able to accomplish. So even a starling nine-under-par 61 in the opening round of the Scottish Open at a breezy Renaissance Club is nothing new. Back in 2015, An won the biggest tournament on the Old World circuit, the BMW PGA Championship, by six shots. His 21-under-par 267 remains a record for the DP World Tour’s flagship event.

Throw in An’s three years on both the European Challenge Tour and the main circuit and it is clear that the 31-year-old South Korean is no stranger to the sort of conditions that prevailed on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth.

“I couldn’t play any better,” he said with a smile after posting the lowest score in 561 rounds on the PGA Tour. “I drove it well and hit it well and chipped it well and putted well. That’s a clean scorecard. Overall, very relaxed out there and weather was nice, too. I like links golf. It’s different than the courses we play in the U.S. You just have to land it in different spots. I really like it as long as the weather is nice. I prefer warm weather but on a links course, I feel comfortable no matter what. I feel like I’m back home. This is the Tour I started my professional career. It’s been great coming back. It can get tricky hitting shots into the greens but I think I did well today.”

That he did, the former U.S. Amateur champion (at 17, he became the youngest to claim that title when he won in 2009) mixed nine birdies with nine pars over the 7,237-yard Tom Doak-design.

“I hit a lot of shots close, a lot of wedges close,” An said. “It was one of those days. Every shot I hit was from a perfect number. They all pitched right and how the ball reacted on the greens was perfect. Some of the putts I had were very straightforward putts. It seemed like I was last in a good spot. Overall today, everything went really well.”

That level of positivity was especially true on the greens. An holed out unerringly while wielding a long, broomstick putter, an implement that entered his bag only recently.

“This is my fourth week with it,” said An, who missed two cuts and finished T-51 at last week’s John Deere Classic… “I feel very comfortable. When we switched, I talked to other fellows who use the broomstick putter, guys like Adam [Scott] and Si Woo [Kim]. I asked them for the pros and cons and they all said, it looked good. We are trying to get my hands out of the stroke and the long putter helps me a lot with that. I’ve been putting pretty decent over the past couple weeks. I just need more time with it.”

Putting has long been a sore spot for An. He ranked outside the top 175 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained/putting in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, when he lost his card and had to play again on the Korn Ferry Tour. (So far this season he’s T-141st at -.233.) An has been able to poke fun at himself about his “prowess” on the greens in the past.

And he even embraced this tune from Golf Twitter’s parody song King Sam Harrop:

Here's my latest golf song – with credit, of course, to the Beatles.

I think we all know @ByeongHunAn is one of the good guys. So if you happen to see this, Ben, please know that it comes from a place of love!

RTs & YouTube subscribes (https://t.co/gumjIjqmhy) appreciated ? pic.twitter.com/rikpiMAEE9

— Sam Harrop (@sam_golf) July 6, 2020

I had to do this for you @sam_golf ??? pic.twitter.com/brLtCjjd3v

— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) July 7, 2020

Since earning back his PGA Tour card for 2022-23, An has stayed busy, playing in 26 events. While only having two top-10 finishes, he’s made 19 cuts and sits 58th in the FedEx Cup standings with the top 70 cutoff for the Playoffs coming in a little more than a month.

It’s been a busy season for An on the PGA Tour, having played 26 events. While only having two top-10 finishes, he’s made 19 cuts and sits 58th in the FedEx Cup standings with the top 70 cutoff for the Playoffs coming in a little more than a month.

While it is possible to analyze scores like this one in Scotland almost endlessly, the explanation for how it came about is, more often than not, quite simple.

“When you’re playing well, everything goes your way,” An said. “We had the wind going up and down a little bit, but you can’t do much about that. And when the wind switches, you have to adjust to it and try to play that way. I feel like it wasn’t a consistent wind today but at the same time when I hit a shot, it didn’t switch right after impact. Basically, everything went my way.”

The post Equipment change helps this notoriously poor putter post lowest score of his PGA Tour career appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

An, easily the best follow on Golf Twitter (just the week, he posted a photo of a botched attempt at his name in the PGA Championship locker room) An is also a heck of a player, making his first Presidents Cup appearance last year and posting two points for the International squad. Despite a rough few days at Harding Park, the 28-year-old is making the most of Sunday, making the turn in three under.

That providence seemed to end at the par-5 10th, as An took a par on the easiest hole on course. Only An decided to make up the difference on the par-3 11th with a hole-in-one.

A (very quiet) hole in one ? pic.twitter.com/XqTJ4ERAqe

— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) August 9, 2020

For those scoring at home, that is the first ace of the tournament. However, the beauty of Benny An is not captured by this mere feat. It’s the primal cheer it elicited from the green, followed by the unencumbered, arms-raised response from An met by a good-natured laugh from partner Sepp Straka.

In short, find something in life that you enjoy as much as Ben An enjoys life.

The post Ben An makes hole-in-one, continues to be a content machine appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Yep, that’s me on the right with a couple co-workers at Pine Valley. Ever heard of it? Actually, my wife hadn’t when I told her about the invite, but luckily, I was able to whip out Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Courses list and show her that it’s No. 1. Ahead of Augusta National—which she had heard of—thus, granting me the right to leave her at eight months pregnant and with our lively two-year-old for the day. And to think, some people say those kinds of rankings don’t matter. Anyway, I won’t go shot-by-shot of my round because I don’t want to bore you. And because it was a LOT of shots. The important thing is that we had a great day, and I refrained from cleaning out the pro shop like J.R. Smith. OK, back to real life now.

WE’RE BUYING

Collin Morikawa: What. A. Stud. After losing a playoff at Colonial and having his cut streak snapped at the Travelers, the 23-year-old bounced back to win his second PGA Tour title in less than 12 months at the Workday Charity Open. And although he didn’t have Jack Nicklaus waiting for him on Muirfield’s 18th green, he happily settled for a particularly delicious victory milkshake:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCjmctcFidb/?utm_source=ig_embed

Morikawa now has more wins on tour than missed cuts. Pretty amazing. Although, not as amazing as the fact that Tiger Woods won 43(!) times before missing his second cut. Sorry, Collin, but any young golfer having success has to be compared to Tiger. It’s written in the Golf Twitter Constitution. But seriously, the dude should be proud to be a part of such conversations. And when he sees Woods this week, he can tell him he passed him in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Tony Finau: Big Tone was not at Muirfield Village—good news for the milkshake makers there—but he still managed to draw the golf world’s attention, first by firing a course-record 59 at Victory Ranch:

My 2nd ever sub 60 round today at @VictoryRanchUT ?
59!! 3 shots better than my course record of 62 ?? pic.twitter.com/Wblv7ysykY

— Tony Finau Golf (@tonyfinaugolf) July 11, 2020

And then, after being inspired by Bryson DeChambeau to grip it and rip it even harder, showing off a 206-mph ball speed:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCgVyy6JBGq/?utm_source=ig_embed

Uh-oh. Bryson really started a movement, didn’t he?

Mardy Fish: There’s a different kind of movement in the upper echelon of celebrity golf as the former tennis pro won the American Century Championship for the first time. Fish reeled in the Super Bowl of celebrity golf by overcoming a couple ex-NFL players, 300-pound(!) Kyle Williams, who finished runner-up, and two-time defending champ Tony Romo, who was in fourth place before withdrawing ahead of the final round with a wrist injury.

Christian Petersen

Sorry, Tony, but Mardy is the new King of Celebrity Golf for now after a performance that included a 10-birdie(!) 63 to break the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course record. TEN birdies! In one round! By a tennis player! I’m taking this guy’s athletic résumé over Roger Federer’s any day of the week.

WE’RE SELLING

Justin Thomas’ finish: He’s great, he’s young, and he’ll bounce back, but this one had to sting JT. First, he blew a three-shot lead with three to play and then he had a 13th PGA Tour title taken from him after he made what looked like the winning birdie on the first playoff hole.

5⃣0⃣ FEET!@JustinThomas34 with an UNBELIEVABLE birdie on the first playoff hole.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/T6iuNZrcxH

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 12, 2020

Before Morikawa answered with this:

WOW.@Collin_Morikawa with a MUST-MAKE putt to extend the playoff.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/RSYdWRI1sA

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 12, 2020

Even with the loss, Thomas is a strong 8-of-13 at closing out 54-hole leads. And at least he can say he lost one heckuva duel to another young star. Not that anyone could watch it on TV. . .

TV contracts: Look, we know this is a business and there were reasons why neither Golf Channel nor CBS showed the conclusion of this thrilling tournament live after final-round tee times were moved up due to bad weather, but c’mon. We’ve been saying for weeks how this is golf’s big chance to seize the sports stage and I had friends texting me why it wasn’t on TV. Sure, you could stream it once you found the link, but that’s a lot of effort for a casual fan to go through and this wound up being a big missed opportunity to generate buzz for the sport. A better system needs to be figured out. Period.

Caddies: We’ve seen golfers win at the highest levels with WAGs or friends filling in, but how about a tour pro winning without a caddie at all? Such was the case at the Austrian Open, where Marc Warren pulled off the victory while lugging his own bag around after his caddie failed a COVID-19 test earlier in the week. Although Warren was quick to say he missed having someone on the bag, the unusual circumstance did produce his first European Tour win in six years and meant he didn’t have to share 10 percent of the winner’s check. Plus, the 39-year-old also got some great exercise in. I know I’m going to get heat for this, but. . . Just saying. . .

Stuart Franklin

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to stays in Dublin, Ohio, for the Memorial Tournament, AKA that event played at Muirfield Village in which Jack Nicklaus actually plays host. It also happens to mark the PGA Tour return of Tiger Woods, who hasn’t played competitively in more than five months. Well, unless you count The Match. Speaking of the field:

?Stat of the week:

The 2020 @MemorialGolf SoF is set to break many #OWGR era records. As it looks now, this will be:

– strongest regular @PGATOUR event ever
– 1st regular PGA Tour event with SoF > 800
– stronger than any Playoff event ever
– stronger than the last 8 Masters pic.twitter.com/btBDoZrPsX

— Nosferatu (@VC606) July 13, 2020

Wow. This is major. Even though it technically isn’t.

Random tournament fact: Most golf fans know Woods has won the Memorial a record five times, but the person with the second-most wins at Muirfield Village? Kenny Perry. Thank you, Wikipedia.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Bryson DeChambeau will treat himself to a victory milkshake: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds
—Tiger will win this week: 25-to-1 odds
—Tiger is not happy about having the same odds as Hideki Matsuyama: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

No one documents the end of PGA Tour events better than Rickie Fowler.

Gregory Shamus

We appreciate the effort, Rick—especially because, again, we weren’t seeing anything on TV.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Finau’s 206-mph ball speed was impressive, but Bryson went back to the LAB and produced a 144-mph swing speed:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCheVzjjLMi/?utm_source=ig_embed

My. Word.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Last week, the talented Sam Harrop performed his latest parody song in honour of Ben An:

Here's my latest golf song – with credit, of course, to the Beatles.

I think we all know @ByeongHunAn is one of the good guys. So if you happen to see this, Ben, please know that it comes from a place of love!

RTs & YouTube subscribes (https://t.co/gumjIjqmhy) appreciated ? pic.twitter.com/rikpiMAEE9

— Sam Harrop (@sam_golf) July 6, 2020

This week, the good-natured An responded by stamping some of the lyrics on his wedge:

I had to do this for you @sam_golf ??? pic.twitter.com/brLtCjjd3v

— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) July 7, 2020

Social media certainly has its negatives, but stories like this are awesome. But seriously, Ben, if I keep betting on you, can you pick up the putting a little? Thanks.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I’m never coming in last place again. You can take that to the bank. I’m never coming in last place again. Ever! Ever! Ever! Guaranteed!” —Charles Barkley before finishing in second-to-last place at Lake Tahoe. Good for you, Chuck. Eddie George must be unspeakably bad at golf.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS NOT NAMED MARDY FISH OR CHARLES BARKLEY

Trevor Lawrence played golf! Well, tried to play golf. It’s tough when you’re built like a Greek God and golf clubs snap on you like this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CClh0XZBlDi/?utm_source=ig_embed

Of course, after seeing the money Patrick Mahomes just got, it’s tough to feel bad for a star quarterback. That is, if football ever returns.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

At a quick glance, Phil Mickelson shooting even par for the week and finishing T-58 seems rather boring. Wrong! Phil drove a green in spectacular fashion:

? @PhilMickelson just hit his tee shot to 9 feet.

On a par 4. ?#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/ipBk9TwoF0

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 10, 2020

Showed off some shades from his forthcoming “HIT BOMBS” apparel line:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCgc2ztDuDJ/?utm_source=ig_embed

And gave us arguably the golf GIF of the year:

Make an eagle. ?

Get your coffee back. pic.twitter.com/dFacVEFMqb

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 10, 2020

Nothing is ever boring with this guy.

THIS WEEK IN BROOKS BEING BROOKS

We need to start a new weekly category, because nothing is boring with this guy, either. First, he posts this, um, interesting GIF:

pic.twitter.com/DTjuc48hFp

— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) July 7, 2020

Then, after being called “completely unprofessional” by Golf Channel’s Paige Mackenzie for what seemed like a cryptic dig at Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks took aim at Paige:

So that’s Bryson, Brandel, and Paige. And counting. Keep the feuds coming, Brooks!

THIS AND THAT

Viktor Hovland became the first player in the Shot Link Era (2004) to lead the field in strokes gained: tee-to-green in three consecutive events. Considering he didn’t win any of those weeks, it’s pretty easy to guess the part of his game that’s holding him back. . . . The PGA Tour Playoffs will be held without fans. This was the least surprising news of the week. . . . David Lipsky, who like Collin Morikawa attended L.A.’s La Canada High School, won his first Korn Ferry Tour title. Their high school is better than my high school at golf. . . . And finally, shout-out to the in-laws for hooking me up with some of my favorite BBQ sauce:

Sonny’s is the GOAT.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Why isn’t there a Sonny’s closer to where I live?
Why didn’t the PGA Tour pair Brooks and Bryson together?
Is anyone looking for a fourth at Pine Valley this weekend?

The post Celebrity golf’s newest king, Brooks Koepka’s latest feud, and a tour pro wins without a caddie appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
Welcome to another edition of The Grind where we have never been so thrilled to get a haircut. My appointment felt like what I can only imagine having a tee time at Augusta National feels like. I was so excited I could barely fall asleep the night before. And when I finally got into that chair, I didn’t care about the result, just that I was there after four long months in which a mop had grown on top of my head. Was it the best haircut I’ve ever gotten? No, that’s still the time I got styled for a GQ shoot. But for 17 bucks, I’m not complaining. Anyway, let’s talk some golf.

WE’RE BUYING

Dustin Johnson: Apparently this guy didn’t like falling out of the top five in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in four years. Johnson’s response was to win his next start at the Travelers Championship to move back to No. 3. More impressively, that’s now 21 career PGA Tour titles and a 13-season winning streak that’s only behind Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Billy Casper, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods. Decent company.

Also decent? The payout I received from betting on DJ to win, making it two weeks in a row for yours truly after wagering on Webb Simpson at the RBC Heritage. I didn’t make nearly as much as the guy who won 20 GRAND betting on Mackenzie Hughes as a first-round leader, but at least my barber trips should be covered for the next couple years, or decades depending on the quarantine situation. Thanks, DJ!

Jayson Tatum’s swing speed: Speaking of quarantine, the Boston Celtics star caught the golf bug during his and began taking lessons. According to Tatum’s instructor, he already has elite PGA Tour swing speed that reaches 125 miles per hour despite his silky-smooth action:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBozQzOlLwl/?utm_source=ig_embed

How about that “bunt driver” that goes 315 yards? Must be nice to be 6-foot-8 and freakishly athletic. OK, so I’d settle for just being somewhat athletic.

NBC’s USGA deal: The Peacock is getting golf’s national championship back beginning this year at a sweet discount since Fox will reportedly pay more than half of what’s remaining on the seven-year deal. Ouch. While we admire some of the innovations Fox added to its coverage these past few years, it still felt weird when the network parachuted in to broadcast only USGA events. There will be more continuity to NBC’s coverage. And more importantly, Yanni’s IN CELEBRATION OF MAN is BACK!

Between my haircut, the DJ bet, and that, it’s been quite a week.

The Summerhays family: First, 15-year-old Grace shot 76 from 7,000 yards at a Monday qualifier for the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship. Then her 17-year-old brother, Preston, shot a pair of 70s in the actual tournament to narrowly miss the cut. But Uncle Daniel saved the best for last. The PGA Tour veteran, who previously announced his hometown event would be his last start before walking away from competitive golf to become a teacher and coach at his former high school, nearly pulled off a walk-off win. Summerhays shot a final-round 62 but lost in a three-man playoff eventually won by Kyle Jones.

Matthew Stockman

What a way to go out. Except …

WE’RE SELLING

Daniel Summerhays’ retirement: The guy is playing in this week’s TPC Colorado Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour.

An emotional runner-up for Daniel Summerhays at his hometown @UTChampionship.

He had planned for it to be his final start as a pro.

But after receiving overwhelming support across the golf community, he’s onward to @TPC_ColoradoHL. pic.twitter.com/RdKHO8kUZn

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) June 30, 2020

He’s back! There are retirement speeches that lasted longer than that retirement. No, all kidding aside, Daniel still plans to walk away from competitive golf full time. You just can’t walk away while you’re on a heater. We get it.

More COVID WDs: Sadly, the list of these on the PGA Tour is starting to grow rather quickly. On the bright side, though, positive tests seem to be relatively contained and players seem to be taking things very seriously. Brooks Koepka and Webb Simpson were among those pulling out despite not testing positive for the virus themselves. And players like Jason Day have quickly gotten tested when feeling symptoms. Let’s hope this remains the case—even with guys who find themselves in contention.

Being paired with Ian Poulter: Greg Chalmers’ Sunday 73 seems a lot more impressive when you consider the tough scoring conditions he faced. Just watch and listen to this epic fart by playing partner Ian Poulter:

Grip it and rip it, @IanJamesPoulter.
(Sound way up) pic.twitter.com/LyFHSIH8uz

— Skratch (@Skratch) June 28, 2020

How can anyone concentrate with that sort of flatulence around? No wonder Poulter is such a dominant force at the Ryder Cup.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Detroit for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, AKA that new event last year that Nate Lashley went wire-to-wire and won by six shots as an alternate who got into the field on the eve of the tournament.

Random tournament fact: Again, a guy who got into a PGA Tour event on the eve of the tournament as an alternate went wire-to-wire and won by six shots. It doesn’t get much more random than that.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Absolutely majestic. And yes, that little white spot is where DJ’s drive ended up on the final hole. My word.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Check out Martin Kaymer telling a funny story about being single at the 2016 Ryder Cup and being able to hear what was going on in a teammate’s neighbouring hotel room:

Nothing worse than noisy neighbours ??#RCConfidential pic.twitter.com/iKYxcrVUZ4

— Martin Kaymer (@MKaymer59) June 25, 2020

“Others had more fun than me.” Classic. It looks like we won’t have a Ryder Cup this year, but in the meantime, we’ll take more Ryder Cup stories from Martin Kaymer, please.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

If you’re not following Ben An on Twitter, you’re doing Twitter wrong. Here he is playfully taking a jab at Rory McIlroy:

You can…because I holed out ??? https://t.co/FIZ7XJMCBe

— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) June 25, 2020

And here he is acknowledging why he was selected as a feature group:

Thanks to @JordanSpieth for this opportunity ? https://t.co/DVVR5HZlgi

— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) June 28, 2020

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

What a week! In his first PGA Tour start as a 50(!)-year-old, Mickelson took the 36-hole lead. Then news came out that he has trademarked the phrase “Hit Bombs” for a clothing line. Let’s just hope these joggers don’t make the cut …

Elsa

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“But what I have to do is imagine I’m the casino and just keep playing.” —Bryson DeChambeau, who after finishing T-6 at the Travelers hasn’t finished worse than T-8 in his past eight starts. I believe Bryson was referencing that he’s close to winning again because over time, “The house always wins.” But in the meantime, he’s still making money like a casino. And now he’s earned a new nickname: Bryson DeCasino. Congrats, Bryson.

THIS AND THAT

In other failed nicknames, I started calling Brendon Todd “Bren Hogan” after he missed just one fairway through three rounds at the Travelers. That didn’t age well with his tough Sunday, but I’m still going to try to get this one to stick. … Collin Morikawa had his streak of made cuts since turning pro snapped at 22, just three shy of tying Tiger Woods’ record. Now he can get to work on breaking Tiger’s overall consecutive cut record of 142. Good luck, Collin! … Toptracer announced the introduction of a new game, GO FISH, at 250 range locations worldwide. We in golf always talk about finding ways to grow the game and this could be a good one. Once my daughter realizes the difference between a golf club and a broom, I’m in. … And finally, congratulations to our John Strege for retiring after 51(!) years in the business. I’m guessing this retirement will last longer than that of Daniel Summerhays. All kidding aside, it was an honour and a pleasure working with you, John. Here’s the send-off video we made for him:

OK, enough of the sappy reminiscing, John. Go get that handicap down!

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Who was Martin Kaymer talking about in that Ryder Cup video?
What will Phil sell next?
Is Johnny Miller free the week of Sept. 14?

The post Dustin Johnson extends an impressive streak, Ian Poulter passes some impressive gas and a funny WAG story you have to hear appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.