One-Time Cal Golfer Byeong Hun An Tied For 9th After The First Round at The 88th Masters

Rain delayed the start of the event and Max Homa and Collin Morikawa haven't finished their opening rounds.

Now 32 and 13 years removed from his only season at Cal, Byeong Hun An still is chasing his first victory on the PGA Tour. He returned to the Masters for the first time since 2020 and got off to a nice start Thursday.

An birdied the first three holes at Augusta National and went on to shoot a 2-under 70, putting him in a tie for ninth place head into Friday’s second round of the 88th Masters.

He is five strokes behind first-round leader Bryce DeChambeau, who birdied five of the final seven holes to finish with a 7-under 65. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion, is one stroke back after a 66.

A two-and-a-half hour rain delay in the morning meant golfers didn’t tee off until 10:30 a.m. EDT. Former Cal star Collin Morikawa, part of the final group, finally got started at 4:30 p.m.

Play was halted due to darkness at 8 p.m. EDT with 27 golfers still on the course, including Cal alum Max Homa, who was tied for fourth at 4-under through 13 holes. Morikawa played 10 holes at 1-over after a birdie on No. 9.

Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods, who is playing in the same group with Homa, was at 1 under par through 13 holes. Defending champion Jon Rahm shot a 1-over 73 that included bogeys on 17 and 18.

The golfers who didn’t finish before darkness came will complete their first rounds on Friday morning before beginning the second round.

This year at the Masters is a different experience for An, the South Korean who is accompanied at Augusta National for the first time by his wife, Jamie, and their two pre-school aged children.

“It is good to be back," An told prior to the tournament. "I have never been to the Masters with my kids and wife, and it will be my first time with them which makes it even better. I wish to put up a good showing. It is never easy going into the Masters but I feel great.”

After birdies on his first three holes, An went on to sprinkle birdies on Nos. 6, 12 and 13 against bogeys on Nos. 5, 9, 11, 16 and 18. 

An is playing some of the best golf of his career. Although he failed to make the cut in his two previous tournaments, An has three top-25 finishes in 2024, helping him climb to No. 44 in the official world golf rankings, which earned him a Masters invite. 

He played 72 under par over his first 27 rounds of golf this year, and was excited to see what he can do at the Masters.

“I have never seen a golf course managed so well like Augusta National," he said. "With their own traditions, there definitely is some wonderful atmosphere. Every golfer dreams of playing in the Masters . . . It is very special to us, golfers. 

“I’m glad to be part of this but I don’t want to put pressure on myself. The focus is the same.”