Getty Image / Jared C. Tilton
South Korean golfer Byeong Hun An has had a successful career on the PGA Tour despite not winning an event yet.
Byeong Hun An has nearly $11 million in career earnings since 2014 including a 3-year span where he made over $2 million each season. Suffice it to say he knows the sport of golf, and its rules, better than most.
He whipped #GolfTwitter into a frenzy with his latest tweet about rules. Byeong Hun An fired off a tweet about Patrick Reed’s latest scandal, aka ‘Tree Gate’.
The tweet reads “Next time I’m stuck on top of the tree, I’m just going to drop where I think it went. No need to identify it.”
Next time I’m stuck on top of the tree, I’m just going to drop where I think it went. No need to identify it
— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) January 31, 2023
Unlike Patrick Reed’s announcement where he tweeted an iPhone text message screenshot and turned off replies, Ben An left his replies open.
Not only did he leave his replies open, he went through and responded to many of the golf fans in his mentions. It provides an interesting take from the other side of the ropes.
Oh man i guess the bots are gonna eat me up now https://t.co/PKsVXifSmU
— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) January 31, 2023
I’ve never won on the PGA Tour, do the rules of golf not apply to me?
So your point is winners dont have to follow the rules of golf? https://t.co/c9GIMPjQw0
— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) January 31, 2023
Ultimately, the mistake was on the rules official. I said that yesterday. But the point Ben An is trying to make is that these decisions ultimately lie squarely on the golfer. Rules officials are just a supplement but not the end all be all.
Rules official should have done better too here. i remember when my ball was stuck on the tree, he handed me the binocular to make sure it was my ball. https://t.co/SUOiPlEXnV
— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) January 31, 2023
He is qualified to speak:
A person who knows the rules of golf little bit https://t.co/P8klTH8Kbx
— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) January 31, 2023
Golf is confusing:
Because sometimes we get confused
For example, some drops are one club length and some drops are on the second club length. https://t.co/f5uwxVgYKx— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) February 1, 2023
Binoculars are prevalent on the course during a professional event:
Usually rules officials carry one and if they dont, we can use our range finder under their permission I think https://t.co/Pyf7SZbqwa
— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) February 1, 2023
He’s right. The rules are rules.
It sucks to get stuck on the tree but the rules are rules. Sometimes they change over the years but we still have to follow it whether we like it or not https://t.co/4k3FDQZ2YZ
— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) February 1, 2023
And the rules are not always straightforward:
What about from grand stand? And light poles? In line of sights? Shot link towers? https://t.co/eXWWcGL3Ch
— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) February 1, 2023
Byeong Hun An believes the responsibility falls on the golfer, not the rules official:
Right, if official told him he didnt need to identify it, then thats official’s mistake. But lot of us know that we need to identify it when it’s on the tree. https://t.co/lSpKRFCjGM
— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) February 1, 2023
He did say that he missed the Rory McIlroy drop situation.
I didnt see what happened but if player and other fellow players agreed on point of entry, it’s all good. We dont get the camera view. So we had to sometimes ask marshals or other players what they think. Final decision is always on you. https://t.co/usYVjtn0NA
— Byeong Hun An (@ByeongHunAn) February 1, 2023
I tend to disagree. Patrick Reed sought the advice of a rules official who identified the ball. From where I’m sitting, the balance of responsibility shifted after Patrick Reed was told by the official how to proceed.