Sunday, August 30, 2009
An Youngest Champion Ever
It took just one year for Byeong-Hun An
to erase a record that Danny Lee set in last year's U.S. Amateur. An
vanquished Ben Martin, 7 and 5, in the 109th U.S. Amateur to become the
youngest champion in the event.
"I don't think that age
matters in golf," said An after winning on the 31st hole (No. 13) of
the scheduled 36-hole championship.
In addition, An became the 13th Korean-born player to win a USGA title, and fourth male to lay claim to an Association victory.
An
moved to the U.S. three and a half years ago. His mother still lives in
China. He hasn't seen her since January, although she'll be heading to
Florida to meet up with him in 10 days. An said the toughest adjustment
has been learning English. He knew none when he first moved to the U.S.
An was asked afterward if Y.E. Yang, who won this year's PGA Championship, helped motivate him.
"After he won the PGA Championship," said An, "for all of us Koreans and Asians, it made it possible for us to win."
For
Martin, he admitted he didn't play well. In the 13 holes in the
afternoon, he had eight bogeys. He knew early on that his swing was
off.
"I didn't have anything out there today," said Martin. "I was out there searching for something but never found it.
"I'm
really not disappointed yet. I had an opportunity to win, but with the
perks you get for making the final, it's hard to be really
disappointed."
Martin will receive a likely invitation to the
2010 Masters and is exempt into the next U.S. Open. An also will
receive the same but also a British Open invite and will be exempt into
the U.S. Amateur the next 10 years if he remains an amateur.
An Wins 7 And 5
No.
13 (Hole 31) - Martin into the right rough off tee. He punched out to
the left rough. An was in the fairway with 168 yards to the hole.
It ultimately came down to Martin three-putting from 25 feet. An wins the 109th U.S. Amateur.
An Wins 7 And 5
No.
12 (Hole 30) - An, from the front of the green, chipped to 3 feet of
the hole. He sank the putt. Martin had 218 yards from the fairway in
and found a front bunker. After getting out, Martin missed a 10-foot
par save.
An is now 6 up and dormie.
An Leads 6 Up
No.
11 (Hole 29) - After losing the last two holes with bogeys, An seemed
to be on the ropes. Martin hit his best shot of the day, landing the
ball 12 feet below the hole. An put his above the hole, 14 feet away.
However, An swayed the momentum back in his favor by draining the putt.
Martin missed left and lost the hole.
An Leads 5 Up
No.
10 (Hole 28) - Both players found the fairway. Martin got on the green,
the ball stopping 45 feet away from the hole. An blocked his approach,
but the ball came to a rest 60 feet from the flagstick. Martin
two-putted for par; An missed from 4 feet.
An Leads 4 Up
No.
9 (Hole 27) - Martin gets one back. He needed it. From the left
fairway, with 149 yards to the hole, he sent his approach to 35 feet
and two-putted for par. An hit his approach over the green and couldn't
get up and down.
The hole was notable because it was the first green Martin hit in the afternoon nine. Thus far, he's 13-over.
Ah Leads 5 Up
No.
8 (Hole 26) - This hole was halved with bogeys. Both missed the green
on the 243-yard par 3 - Martin went in a left bunker and An in the
right greenside rough. Martin knocked a 30-foot putt to 4 feet and
converted while An left a 28-footer 3 feet short before pushing it in.
An Leads 6 Up
No.
7 (Hole 25) - Martin is having a tough time. He just fell six holes
down. Martin drove into the left rough, then put his next shot into a
greenside bunker. An, in the meantime, got on in in two and had a
45-foot birdie putt to make. He left the first putt 6 feet short.
Martin ended up suffering a bogey.
An Leads 6 Up
No.
6 (Hole 24) - Martin is starting to be more aggressive. He laced his
iron shot on the par 3 hole high but the ball had to too much spin and
bounded in back of the green.
An found the green safely,
looking at a 30-footer for birdie. However, he left the putt 6 feet
short before saving par. Martin stuck his chip within inches. Hole
halved.
An Leads 5 Up
No. 5 (Hole 23) - Both
found the fairway. With 266 yards to the hole, Martin left his second
shot short of a front bunker. An had 260 yards in, but found a left
bunker. Martin flopped his third shot onto the green but it was too
hard, rolling to the back fringe. He then chipped to 13 feet and
two-putted.
An got out of the bunker to 25 feet of the hole. He left the ball 3 feet short but made the next one to win the hole.
An Leads 5 Up
No.
4 (Hole 22) - The hole was halved with 5s. An drove into the left the
fairway and the ball rested against the right rough. He had to chip out
into the fairway before sending his approach to within 25 feet of the
hole.
Martin had a wedge from 106 yards to 12 feet of the
hole. He knocked his first putt 4 feet by and made the comebacker. An's
first putt grazed the hole. Both absorbed bogeys.
An Leads 4 Up
No.
3 (Hole 21) - Martin drove into the deep right rough. With 150 yards to
the flagstick, he found the left front-bunker. An had 144 yards to the
hole and got safely on the green, within 30 feet of the destination.
Martin got out of the bunker to 22 feet, but An again put his putt to
within inches.
Martin suffered a bogey-5 to An's par.
An Leads 4 Up
No.
2 (Hole 20) - An jumped back to a 3-up margin on the 485-yard par-4.
Martin had the misfortune of watching his ball hit the green, but then
scoot off and into the water hazard.
In the meantime, An stuck
his approach from the right rough to within 14 feet of the flagstick.
After incurring the one-stroke penalty, Martin chipped to 7 feet. It
didn't matter as An finessed his birdie try to inches.
An Leads 3 Up
No.
1 (Hole 19) - Ben Martin gained a hole back after Byeong-Hun An missed
a 12-footer to save par. Martin had been on the back fringe and bladed
a sand wedge inches away from the hole for an easy tap-in par.
An Leads 2 Up
|
Comments are locked for this post.
|