“It sucks” – Byeong Hun An gives his take on the idea of giving up golf for the mandatory military service

Olympics: Golf-Mens Stroke Play Round 2 – Source: Imagn
Olympics: Golf-Mens Stroke Play Round 2 – Source: Imagn
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Byeong Hun An is competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. The second round of the Olympic Golf concluded on Saturday, August 2.

After carding 1-over 72 in the first round, the 32-year-old golfer scored 3-under 68 in the second round. He scored four birdies on the 5th, 6th, 11th, and 12th holes against a bogey on par-3 8th. With an aggregate score of 2 under 140.

An started strongly in the third round with eight birdies in the first 11 holes. However, he faltered on par-4 13th with a double bogey. He was 6-under 59 in 16 holes and tied at 13th at the time of the writing. He’s still four strokes behind Jon Rahm, who is on the top of the leaderboard.

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Byeong Hun An needs a gold medal to be exempt from military service in his country. South Korea has a strict conscription rule that mandates all men in the age group 18-35 to serve in the military for 18-21 months.

After the second round, Byeong Hun An was asked how he felt about leaving golf for the mandatory military service. An said (via ASAP Sports):

“It is — it sucks; you have to give up golf but I guess the other Koreans would say, everyone goes, so why do we get exempt from it. There are some ways to look at it. But at least we have a chance at the Asian Games or Olympics to get a medal to get exempt from the military service, so at least we have the opportunity.”
A look at Byeong Hun An’s performances in 2024
Byeong Hun An has had a splendid 2024 season. He is currently 12th in the FedExCup standings. He has had four top-5 finishes and 10 top-finishes this year.

Byeong Hun An came as a runner-up at the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii. He lost by a birdie in the playoffs against Grayson Murray. His best performances include a third finish at the Wells Fargo Championship, a fourth finish at the Sentry, and a T4 finish at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

An’s other notable finishes include a T16 at the Masters tournament and a T13 at the Open Championship 2024. Let’s take a look at Byeong Hun An’s performances in the 2024 PGA TOUR Tournaments so far:

The Sentry: 4 (68-64-68-66, 266, -26)
Sony Open in Hawaii: T2-y (67-64-68-64-5, 263, -17)
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: T31 (71-71-67, 209, -7)
WM Phoenix Open: T66 (70-68-75-70, 283, -1)
The Genesis Invitational: T16 (67-72-70-68, 277, -7)
Cognizant Classic: T21 (67-71-71-65, 274, -10)
Arnold Palmer Invitational pres. by Mastercard: T8 (71-69-76-68, 284, -4)
THE PLAYERS Championship: Missed Cut (69-80, 149, +5)
Valero Texas Open: Missed Cut (74-75, 149, +5)
Masters Tournament: T16 (70-73-72-75, 290, +2)
RBC Heritage: 67 (68-66-72-80, 286, +2)
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson: T4 (66-67-66-65, 264, -20)
Wells Fargo Championship: 3 (70-68-71-66, 275, -9)
PGA Championship: T43 (71-67-72-68, 278, -6)
the Memorial Tournament pres. by Workday: T22 (71-73-73-75, 292, +4)
U.S. Open: Missed Cut (74-78, 152, +12)
Travelers Championship: Withdrawn (29, +1)
Genesis Scottish Open: Missed Cut (65-73, 138, -2)
The Open: T13 (75-71-68-71, 285, +1)
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Edited by Shirsh