SAVANNAH, Georgia — Yuan finished tied for seventh place in the coach championships here on Sunday, locking up next season's PGA Tour membership, becoming the third Chinese mainland player in history to receive an PGA Tour card.
The 25-year-old from Dalian won his first victory on the Korn Ferry Tour two weeks ago. Coupled with two other top-three finishes early in the season, he needs to finish 19th or better alone at Georgia to cross the 900-point safety line to ensure he is in the top 25 of the regular season standings and get a PGA Tour entry card for the new season.
Yuan, the first player to secure entry to the PGA Tour this season, has now amassed 941 points with 15 games left in the regular season. Dou Zecheng and Zhang Xinjun are the first two Chinese mainland players to hold PGA Tour participation cards, and they also won in the 2017 Korn Ferry Tour regular season.
"I'm pretty excited to know I'm going to go to the PGA Tour next year. This is good news for me and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season and next year's PGA Tour. Yuan said he ended the race on Sunday with a 2-over-par 74, trailing champions T. Thompson. J. Vogel 5.
Rising to the PGA Tour through the Korn Ferry Tour and allowing yourself to fight alongside the top elites of the golf world is Yuan Yechun's lifelong goal, and it is also a sweet redemption. Last June, he made a personal sacrifice to return to China to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics, representing his country in the Tokyo Olympics, and then returning to his homeland for the National Games. Until then, he was only outside the top 25 on the Korn Ferry Tour.
He paid tribute to his wife, Luo Ying (who is also a professional golfer), his coaches and family for staying focused as he chased the American dream. "Everyone has contributed a lot, including my coach, my wife, the caddie, my parents... You know my friends, everyone around me made me who I am now. I want to thank all of them. Yuan Yechun said.
"It will be a new experience. Maybe a lot of things will be new... New course, new challenge, but I'm looking forward to playing a better course. I may be in the same group as some of the big players, learn from them, and of course hope that more spectators will cheer me on. It will be exciting. ”
Yuan, who grew up in Dalian, learned to play at the age of 9 due to the influence of his father and moved to the United States to attend high school at the age of 14. It was then that his passion for the sport grew. He played college golf at the University of Washington for three years — where he met his wife — before switching to a career in 2018.
After switching careers, he left his mark on the PGA TOUR Series in China, winning his first professional title in Qingdao before reaching the Korn Ferry Tour in 2019. His growth trajectory continues to trend upwards, with three runners-up on the Korn Ferry Tour in the 2020-21 season, which earned him his first olympic qualification and a tie for 38th place in Tokyo.
"There are sacrifices that have to be made. It was a unique experience to be able to represent my country at the Olympic Games every four years. I will never regret doing so. He said.
Now that the PGA Tour membership card is safely in hand, Yuan still hopes to get more wins for the remainder of the Korn Ferry Tour. "It's the same every week, the same mentality, going out and playing the lowest possible score. Even though I've reached the point threshold, nothing has changed. Yuan, who lives in Jacksonville, Florida, said.
program
Notice
Dubai Desert Classic
Hansen led the first round with a shot
"Satellite Golf" tonight at 23:20 to bring you the essence of the first round of the 2022 Dubai Desert Classic, replayed at 3:20 a.m., you can also lock Beijing Gehua Cable Channel 644, Hainan China Cable 200 Channel, or hainan satellite TV high-resolution channel of cable TV networks across the country, so stay tuned!
In the first round of the 2022 Dubai Desert Classic, Danish golfer Achim Ahmed B. Hansen shot a bogey-free 65 (-7) at emirates golf club to lead the way with a one-stroke advantage.
This week's program preview
Monday, April 4 at 23:20
First round of the 2022 Dubai Desert Classic
Tuesday, April 5 at 23:20
Second round of the 2022 Dubai Desert Classic
Wednesday, April 6 at 23:20
2022 Dubai Desert Classic Third Round
Thursday, April 7 at 23:20
2022 Dubai Desert Classic Round 4
Satellite GOLF New Media Matrix
Satellite TV Golf official WeChat
Industry trends, content guidance
Satellite TV Golf Official Douyin
Interesting talk on the field, highlight moments
Satellite TV Golf official Weibo
Gaotan dynamics, real-time information
Travel Network TV APP
Highlights of the event, thematic highlights
Partners