Wednesday 24 June 2015 12:41, UK
Byeong Hun An has been named the Hilton European Tour Golfer of the Month for May following his record-breaking victory in the BMW PGA Championship.
The 23-year-old produced a sensational display on his first appearance at Wentworth, carding rounds of 71, 64, 67 and 66 for a 21-under-par total, and a record low in the European Tour’s flagship event.
The Challenge Tour graduate, the first Asian winner of the BMW PGA Championship, pocketed a cool 833,330 euros while securing places at the US Open and Open Championship.
“It feels fantastic to win this award and I’m grateful for the panel for voting for me,” said An. "It is a huge honour to be the first Asian winner of the BMW PGA Championship.
"And to win the European Tour’s flagship event in my rookie season is a dream come true. It’s easily the highlight as a professional so far, and I hope I can build on this and have a long and successful career.”
'Impressive'
Denmark's Søren Kjeldsen, who won his first European Tour title in six years at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, was also shortlisted along with Englishman James Morrison, who won the Open de España, his first title since 2010.
South African George Coetzee, winner of the inaugural AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, was also in the mix along with Spanish veteran Miguel Angel Jiménez, who recorded back-to-back runners-up spots at the Open de España and BMW PGA Championship.
Sky Sports pundit Richard Boxall, a member of the judging panel, said: "The manner in which Byeong-hun An won the BMW PGA Championship was so impressive.
"Not only did he win his first European Tour title in the flagship event, he did so in superb style, completely unfazed by the pressure and the vastly more experienced players chasing him. He’s a huge talent and has shown he’s got the maturity and attitude to go with it, so I can see him going far in the game.”
