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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIPMay 24, 2015Byeong-Hun AnVIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND SARAH GWYNN: Congratulations, our new BMW PGA Champion sum up how you're feeling right now. BYEONG HUN AN: I'm really excited. I just can't believe I won this event. Never thought about it, even today, going into the lead, I was trying to just play my best and shot by shot and trying to not look at the leaderboard because it wasn't easy, I kept looking at it. Really great. I'm really happy. SARAH GWYNN: You made it look very easy out there, but I'm sure you'll say it wasn't. BYEONG HUN AN: It wasn't easy. I was very nervous the whole day. Thank God I played well. I mean, I was hitting it well to don't feel any nerves because I had all the confidence hitting every shot out there. I think that's why it made it look so easy because I was playing well but in my mind it wasn't easy. SARAH GWYNN: Was there a certain point where you knew the title was yours? BYEONG HUN AN: Birdieing, I think it was 15. I was having like five‑ or six‑shot lead and three holes to go, and I was like, okay, I think this will do it. But before that, wasn't thinking about it, like there's still a couple holes out there. As long as I hit it well today, I feel like I can do it but the birdie at 15, definitely I think that was the moment I realised it. Q. Was this your first look at Wentworth, and what did you think of it? Was it a tough challenge for the Flagship Event? BYEONG HUN AN: I looked at it on TV but never played it until this Monday. Looked like a tough course and scores not very high. I love sorry‑‑ I plays on Monday, didn't play well, maybe because of the weather. I played great this week. To be honest, I was hitting it well and made it look easy, but definitely not an easy course. Q. Does it suit your eye? BYEONG HUN AN: Ah, yeah. Now it suits my eyes. Q. What about the crowd? BYEONG HUN AN: I love it. I love people watching me playing golf. I was a bit nervous but they support me all week, and it's great to have their support while I'm playing, and they cheer us up and definitely help me. SARAH GWYNN: You've had three Top‑10s on the Tour already this season. Did it feel like a win was coming? BYEONG HUN AN: Ah, no. I was playing well, but never thought it was coming. Well, I was dreaming about it, but not in this event, definitely, because there are a lot of good players and my goal is to try to make the cut this week because it's such a big event and a lot of good players. Didn't think about it, but my goal was definitely to try to win an event. But didn't know it was going to be this quickly. Q. When you look at the list of names on that trophy, how does it make you feel that your name is going to be there? BYEONG HUN AN: I looked at their names and a lot of good names up there, famous names. It's great to be on that trophy with my name on it. I guess it's a great achievement. Q. Can you talk us through 12? BYEONG HUN AN: 12 I think was 193 yards. I had 5‑iron. It was a perfect 5‑iron and was a perfect club for me and was slightly into the breeze. I hit a nice, high draw. Everything worked out. Everything was good, the wind and shots. Q. A long time since the U.S. Amateur win. What has held you back from European Tour success or success on the main tour? BYEONG HUN AN: I wasn't good enough. That's probably the main thing to it. I played The Challenge Tour the last three years and definitely got me prepared for this big event on the main tour. I was trying to be patient. I wasn't in a rush or anything. I was still young. Seems like everything is working the way I wanted. Q. This breakthrough win, will this encourage more Asian golfers to try their luck in Europe? BYEONG HUN AN: Oh, definitely, yeah. I think one of my friends, who lives in Asia or playing the Asian Tour, I'm always telling them The European Tour is great. A lot of good players and a lot of good events and great courses and some of the places we go, it's great. I keep telling them it's a great tour. I think they should come over. Q. Can you just tell us what you think was the secret of your success this week? What do you feel you did particularly well? BYEONG HUN AN: The shots, iron shots. Iron game is great this week. Hit a lot of greens. I think I'm first or second in greens in regulation. I was hitting it great. Didn't miss many putts. Just overall, I was hitting it well. That's what it was I think. Q. You said that you were nervous but you made it look pretty easy. How were you able to harness your nerves? BYEONG HUN AN: Trying to think it's a practise round with a lot of people out there. Just stick to the plan and focus on every shot and not get carried away if there's people watching me. I was nervous, I don't know if you can tell, but I try to calm myself. Because as long as I stick to my swing and everything, I knew I can do it. So felt like a practise round, that's what I wanted to feel. Q. Can you talk a little about how The Challenge Tour experience helped prepare you for this moment? BYEONG HUN AN: Oh, it evidently did helped. I think I could not have done it without playing The Challenge Tour the last three years. Definitely got me prepared. All year I played great this year and it got me ready for this big main Tour event. Definitely they are a part of this win I think. Q. Can you tell us about your parents? I understand they are also very good sportsmen. BYEONG HUN AN: Yeah, they won the medals in the Olympics in table tennis and definitely so far, they are better than me record‑wise. I always try to catch up with them. On my way there. I'm still young, but they are really great athletes and I really admire them and they are my role models. Q. Were you not tempted to take up their sport? BYEONG HUN AN: I mean, I wasn't very‑‑ I wasn't an athlete guy I think. Probably golf is the only sport I can play. I'm really slow and heavy (laughing). I've never thought about playing table tennis. That's what my parents said, too, I don't think you can play table tennis. I don't think I'm quick enough. Q. More money in golf. BYEONG HUN AN: That, too, and I can play longer. I think it's more fun. Q. Which Olympics? BYEONG HUN AN: It's 1988, Seoul Olympics. Q. Did the success of Brooks Koepka coming off The Challenge Tour and becoming Rookie of the Year last year, how much of a lift did that give to you to think, well, I can do that, as well? BYEONG HUN AN: Well, that's the textbook of what I wanted to do: Play on The Challenge Tour, win, and then come up to the main tour. Rookie of the Year would be great, but trying to play well and then play the majors. That's what he did and I think that's great, and that's the way I want to do it. Q. Did Brooks talk to you about what he had done? Did you ask him about it? BYEONG HUN AN: Not really, no. Q. Were you aware of a lot of the exemptions you get for winning this tournament? It really is career‑changing. You get into the U.S. Open and a few Open Championships, as well, off the back of it. You must be excited about playing in those majors. BYEONG HUN AN: I never thought about it until someone told me after I won. Tried to not look at those things, what the benefits I'll get. Try to play the golf I did today, that was my goal. The win was good, definitely, and U.S. Open and The Open is even better but I never thought about those but it's great to play those events. SARAH GWYNN: Congratulations again. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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