European Tour young gun arrives in Rio, eyes Olympic medal

An Byeong-hun, South Korean young gun on the European Tour, arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, eyeing a medal in golf’s long-awaited return to the Olympics.

“Now that I am wearing the national flag on my chest, this feels different than any other competition,” An said at Galeao International Airport. “I must never taint the honor of the national flag.”

South Korean Olympic golfer An Byeong-hun poses for a photo after arriving at Galeao International Airport in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 8, 2016.

An, the 2015 European Tour Rookie of the Year, said his goal is to win a medal, “and a gold medal, while I am at it.”

The men’s competition appears wide open, with the world’s top four — Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy — having pulled out with concerns over the Zika virus and other reasons.

An, on the other hand, said their absence won’t make things any easier, with the likes of Henrik Stenson, this year’s Open Championship winner, in the field.

“Golf is such a fickle sport,” An added. “Anyone who plays well for four days — no more or no less — can win.”

An missed the cut at the PGA Championship, the season’s final major held last month, and blamed it on an iffy driver.

“I only hit about 20 percent of the fairways then,” he said. “But now, my driving and shots are better.”

An is the son of the South Korean men’s table tennis coach, An Jae-hyung, a former Olympic medalist.

The junior An said he texted his father after landing in Rio but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to meet him during the Olympics. The table tennis competition started last Saturday.

Along with An, two-time European Tour winner Wang Jeung-hun will represent South Korea.

The men’s competition starts on Aug. 11 at Olympic Golf Course, a par-71, 7,128-yard layout.