Byeong Hun An will take a two-stroke lead into the weekend at the Genesis Championship as he seeks his first home win in more than nine years.
The South Korean started the second round a shot behind overnight lead Ivan Cantero, but fell clear as he reached 11-under-par after a six-under 66 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon.
Despite bogeys on back-to-back holes on the fifth and sixth, An played the front nine in three under as he recorded five birdies.
He then made three more on the back nine, with back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 opening a gap between Italy’s Francesco Laporta and South Africa’s Casey Jarvis, who were tied for second on nine under.
The 33-year-old’s last home victory was at the 2015 Shinhan Donghae Open, just four months after he became the first Asian golfer to win the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
The Genesis Championship is the final event of the DP World Tour ‘Back 9’ series of tournaments and the last chance for players to earn their playing rights for next season, with the top 114 in the Race to Dubai Rankings set to retain their cards.
ZERO EXPECTATIONS
“Coming into this week I didn’t expect anything,” said An, whose last victory came at the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour. “I really like this home support. I hope there will be more people this weekend and I can feed them.
“It would be good if we hold the cup on Sunday, but I didn’t get here [South Korea] for the last five years – six years in the tournament – so what I’m trying to do is show good golf because they don’t see much of me, so I’ll try my best and see what happens.”
Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia, who started the week at 154th in the rankings, improved his chances of retaining his playing rights after carding six birdies and a bogey to reach eight under. American Johannes Veerman was also at that point after matching 67 with Hoshino and Cantero at the fourth round.
Tom Kim was flawless in his round of 69 to take a three-under seven lead, with Alejandro Del Rey and Matthew Southgate, another player fighting to save his card.
PENGE’S PRESSURE PUTT
Sussex’s Marco Penge, who was ranked 115th heading into South Korea, hit the final birdie from four feet to reach 1 over and increase his chances of playing on the DP World Tour next year, while Eddie Pepperell, who started. per week at 124thbirdied three of the last five holes to go 2-over to give himself a chance to extend his stay on the European Tour.
For all the points from the Genesis Championship, click here.
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