Who is Byeong Hun An?
He’s the youngest ever US Amateur winner, but who is Byeong Hun An? Find out more with our profile on the South Korean here…
Byeong Hun An is one of the leading South Koreans in the men’s game, but he is still awaiting that maiden PGA Tour win.
Born in the Korean capital of Seoul in September 1991 to sporting parents, An was always going to be an athlete. He took up golf at an early age and would go on to win the U.S. Amateur at the age of just 17, becoming the youngest man in history to do so. He turned professional two years later, and has gone on to win on the European Challenge Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and the DP World Tour.
The first of those wins was on the European Challenge Tour, coming at the Rolex Trophy in August 2014. Just nine months later, the Korean took what remains his biggest win to date. He was victorious at the DP World Tour’s flagship event – the BMW PGA Championship. The win helped him to Rookie of the Year honours on the tour that year.
On the international stage, An has represented his country at two Olympic Games, doing so in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and in Paris in 2024. He has also played in the Presidents Cup for the International Team, and made two appearance for South Korea in the World Cup of Golf.
Byeong Hun An | Player Profile
Personal Information
Name: Byeong Hun (Ben) An
Born: September 17, 1991
Nationality: South Korea
Residence: Orlando, Florida
Career
College: University of California, Berkeley
Turned Pro: 2011
Professional Wins: 4
Highest World Ranking: 23 – May 12, 2024
Best Results In Majors
Best Finishes:
– Masters Tournament – T16 (2024)
– PGA Championship – T22 (2020)
– US Open – T16 (2019)
– Open Championship – T13 (2024)
Professional Wins – 4
2014 (1) – Rolex Trophy
2015 (2) – BMW PGA Championship, Shinhan Donghae Open
2022 (1) – LECOM Suncoast Classic
Achievements and Awards
Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year – 2015
European Tour Graduate of the Year – 2015
Byeong Hun An | What’s In His Bag?
The South Korean’s bag is filled with Titleist clubs, including the TSR 4 driver and even a 1-iron! He does use a LAB putter, but also plays with the Pro V1x.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Byeong Hun An
When and where was Byeong Hun An born?
Byeong Hun An was born in September 1991 in the South Korean capital city of Seoul. He was destined to be a sportsman, with his parents both earning medals in table tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
When did Byeong Hun An turn professional?
Byeong Hun An turned professional in 2011, and immediately turned his hand to the European Challenge Tour, before then playing on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.
How many professional titles has Byeong Hun An won?
As of August 2024, Byeong Hun An has won four times as a professional. His first came in 2014, with his biggest win to date coming at the DP World Tour’s flagship event – the BMW PGA Championship – a year later.
Who is Byeong Hun An married to?
Byeong Hun An is married to Choi Hee-Jae, with the pair tying the knot back in 2018. The pair have two children, Sun-Woo and Ji-Woo.
Did you Know?
Youngest U.S. Amateur Champion
Ben An made history in 2009 with his victory at the U.S. Amateur. Not only did he become the first Asian golfer to win the title, but he also become the youngest in the history of the competition to be victorious. He did so after beating Ben Martin in the final 7&5, to claim victory as a 17-year-old.
Two-Time Olympian
The South Korean has represented his country at the Olympics on two occasions. He played in both Rio 2016 and Paris 2024, with a best of T11 coming at the former.
Other Byeong Hun An Articles
What do you make of Ben An’s career so far? Should he have won more? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
