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Herald Economy reporter Jo Yong-jik — Byeonghun An, making his first return to South Korea since joining LIV Golf to play in LIV Golf Korea (a 30 million USD (approximately 40 billion KRW) purse), said he’s aiming for a strong showing.
Two days before the tournament, set for May 28–31 at Busan Asiad Country Club (par 70), An attended the official press conference alongside Korean Golf Club teammates Song Young-han, Kim Min-gyu and Moon Do-yeop. “I haven’t won often in my career, but I lifted the trophy twice in Korea,” he said. “I get a lot of energy when I play at home, so I’m looking forward to this event.”
An has appeared in 229 PGA Tour events, finished runner-up five times and delivered consistently solid results. He joined LIV Golf this season and tied for ninth at the season opener in Riyadh in February, becoming the first South Korean to crack the top 10.
But in the tournaments that followed he’s finished outside the top 20, falling short of expectations. “I often see players play well in their home country,” An said. “I want to use this event as a turning point.”
Moon Do-yeop, who currently leads the KPGA Tour Genesis points standings, will make his LIV Golf debut at this event. He fills the spot left when longtime Korean Golf Club member Danny Lee, who represents New Zealand, stepped down from his wildcard.
“LIV Golf contacted me recently, and I thought it was a great opportunity, so I decided to join,” Moon said. “I’ll be making my debut on a familiar domestic course, so I’m very curious to see how it goes.”
Kim Min-gyu, who also attended the press conference, expressed renewed determination after a recent setback. He played the 68th Korea Open at Ujeong Hills Country Club (par 71) in Cheonan, Chungnam, but was disqualified after a scorecard error surfaced in the third round.
“That happened because I didn’t check properly,” Kim said. “It was upsetting, but I’ve put it behind me. For now, I’ll focus more on LIV Golf this year.”
Korean Golf Club operated as Ironhead Golf Club through last season but reorganized ahead of this season to better target the Korean market.
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