An beats Kim in Genesis Championship playoff

Stimpmeter · October 27, 2024, 4:45pm

Byeong Hun An defeated fellow South Korean Tom Kim in a playoff to secure his second DP World Tour title at the Genesis Championship.

Birdies were dropping in from the start by the contenders as six players held the lead in some capacity at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club on Sunday.

The carousel at the top of leaderboard was in full flow until Kim jumped one shot clear heading down the last when An lipped out for bogey at the penultimate hole.

Both landed their approach to eight feet for birdie putts, with An applying the pressure by draining his effort to move back alongside Kim at 17 under.

Kim needed to sink his to claim the one-shot victory, but he lipped out and the two home favourites were forced into a playoff.

Both played risky second shots when replaying the par-five last, but Kim was left in a precarious position which resulted in him shooting into the main stand with his third and carding a bogey.

An had two putts for the title on home soil and only needed one to seal his first victory on the DP World Tour since lifting the 2015 BMW PGA Championship, nine years and 156 days ago.

“It’s great, I’ve had a great season obviously, it’s been too long [to win] on the main Tour,” An said.

“All I tried to do is show some great golf in front of the home fans, it’s been a while since I’ve played in front of them.

“It feels amazing, it’s a bit of a shame that Tom had a bit of mess there, but it’s been a great tournament for me, I’ve really enjoyed it.

“There has been a lot of fans out there supporting me and Tom and I feel like we had a great battle today. I just got a little bit lucky to be a winner out there today I think.

“It’s a sweet ending for this year, it’s been a great year. This feels amazing, I’m going enjoy it for a while then I’ve got to get back on it.”

The chasing pack made their presence known as Ricardo Gouveia, Antonie Rozner and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen all birdied the opening hole, with the latter also picking up a shot at the second for a five-way tie at the top at 12 under.

Kim jumped ahead with a birdie at the 2nd, but Gouveia quickly joined him with one of his own at the 3rd before Neergaard-Petersen completed a hat-trick of gains through three holes.

An picked up a shot at the 3rd and Francesco Laporta made it back-to-back birdies at the 4th for another five-way tie at the top at 13 under.

A second gain at the 4th saw Kim become the first player to reach 14 under this week, only for Laporta to sit alongside the South Korean following a birdie at the 6th.

Kim responded with a brilliant approach at the same hole to take the sole lead and when he rolled in from 43 feet at the next, he was two shots clear at 16 under.

Kim bogeyed the 8th to slip back alongside Gouveia, after he birdied the 7th and 8th, and when Neergaard-Petersen tapped in from close range to finish his front nine in 31, there were three in the lead.

Rozner braved a risky approach into the 9th and he was rewarded with a birdie which saw him increase the leadership group to four.

Neergaard-Petersen dropped out with a bogey at the 10th, but there were still four at the top when Laporta birdied the same hole.

Gouveia and Laporta bogeyed the 11th, just as the final group had all had birdie chances at the 10th.

An and Kim failed to drain their efforts but when Rozner rolled his in from four feet, the Frenchman was the sole leader at 16 under.

Kim was inches from holing out his approach at the 11th to return to 16 under and he was on his own as Rozner lipped out his par putt.

Gouveia jumped ahead after completing a hat-trick of birdies at the 14th to become the first to reach 17 under, only for Kim to stick his approach at the 14th to close range to join him.

The Portuguese then three-putted at the 16th to hand the initiative to Kim, while An was quietly going about his business and he joined the lead at 17 under after a third birdie in four holes at the 16th.

He could not capitalise, though, as he dropped a shot at the penultimate hole, with Kim salvaging par to remain one ahead.

An piled on the pressure with his nerveless birdie which eventually forced a playoff after his compatriot’s near-miss for victory, but the world No 36 kept cool to roll in the extra hole to lift the title.

Gouveia, who began the week in 154th place on the Race to Dubai Rankings, recorded his first top 20 finish of the campaign with a brilliant third at 16 under to earn his playing rights for next season.

Rozner was one shot further back, Italian Guido Migliozzi carded the lowest final round score with a flawless 65 to sit at 14 under, while Laporta, first round leader Ivan Cantero and South African Casey Jarvis were two more adrift.

Jarvis’ 68 on Sunday included six birdies and two bogeys.

– Edited report from DP World Tour website

Photo: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

The post An beats Kim in Genesis Championship playoff appeared first on Compleat Golfer.

Article Link: An beats Kim in Genesis Championship playoff