Golf returned to the Olympics after 116 years. Before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, golf was featured in the Olympic program on two occasions: in 1900 and 1904. At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the player who took the historic first tee shot on the first hole was Ahn Byeong-hun (33).
Ahn Byeong-hun is the son of table tennis star Ahn Jae-hyung (59), a former Korean national table tennis team coach, and Zhao Zhimin (61), a former Chinese national team member. Former coach Ahn won a bronze medal in table tennis men’s doubles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and Zhao Zhimin won silver and bronze medals in women’s doubles at the same event. The tournament organizing committee entrusted the symbolic first tee shot to Ahn Byeong-hun, the son of table tennis star Ahn Jae-hyung (59), former Korean national table tennis team coach, and Zhao Zhimin (61), a former Chinese national team member. Former coach Ahn won a bronze medal in table tennis men’s doubles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and Zhao Zhimin won silver and bronze medals in women’s doubles at the same event. The tournament organizing committee entrusted the symbolic first tee shot to Ahn Byeong-hun, the son of an Olympian couple. Ahn tied for 11th place at the Rio Olympics.
With the Paris Olympics on the horizon, Ahn Byeong-hun is focused on one goal: winning a medal. In a recent video interview with Korean media, he expressed his determination, saying, “I want to follow in the footsteps of my mom and dad and wear an Olympic medal around my neck. It won’t be easy, but I hope I can win a medal. If I focus on my golf without pressure, I will be able to get close to a medal.”
The Olympic Men’s Golf, a four-day event starting August 1 at the Le Golf National Olympic Course near Paris, poses a significant challenge for Ahn Byeong-hun. Having last played at this course during the 2015 French Open, he recalls the difficulty of the course, emphasizing the importance of local adaptation in his preparation for the Olympics.
Ahn Byeong-hun, who started his professional career on the European second-division tour, is familiar with European golf courses. He played on the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) for over five years and lifted the trophy at the DP World Tour major tournament, the BMW Championship, in 2015.
His first stage on the way to an Olympic medal will be the Genesis Scottish Open, held at the Renaissance Club (par 70) in North Berwick, Scotland, from the 11th. At last year’s tournament, co-organized by the PGA and DP World Tour, Ahn Byeong-hun tied for third place and won the right to participate in the major tournament, The Open. Since then, Ahn Byeong-hun has performed well, raising his world ranking from 231st at the end of 2022 to 60th by the end of 2023.
Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com
