Rookie Hahn has all the moves

PEBBLE BEACH – Like any PGA Tour rookie, James Hahn wants to keep making cuts and earn a decent living.

He's OK with going viral as well.

The former Cal player, who will make his Pebble Beach National Pro-Am debut this week, shook up the golfing world – and his hips – with a snappy "Gangnam Style" dance after nailing a birdie putt Sunday at the notorious 16th hole at the Phoenix Open.

The Pebble Beach event will boast four-time champion Phil Mickelson, along with Dustin Johnson, a two-time winner fresh from a week off. But the tournament also has its zany side, which makes Hahn, 31, a good fit in the salty air.

The fact that Hahn shot a final-round 62 and finished tied for 16th in Phoenix was overshadowed by his dance, which, as of Wednesday, had more than 190,000 views on YouTube.

Hahn said he was inspired after learning from Bubba Watson, whom he follows on Twitter, that everyone was trying to come up with unique antics on the 16th hole – a stadium hole in which fans, some inebriated, boo anyone who misses the green off the tee.

"There's so many ideas," Hahn said. "I've watched that golf tournament for the last 10 years. Everyone growing up as a kid is saying: 'What would I do if I was on 16 in the final round and made birdie?' I knew I wanted to do something special, something fun. But I knew it would only happen if I made birdie."

So much for staid golfers.

Hahn had already made a name for himself with a final-round 62 at the Humana Challenge on Jan. 20, when he finished tied for fourth and earned $246,400. He has made four cuts in four attempts this season, one year removed from having to grind out a spot in the top 25 on the Web.com Tour to earn his PGA Tour privileges.

Hahn said he did not play Pebble Beach as a junior, only playing it for the first time three years ago.

"I was going to wait until I made it on the PGA Tour to play the rotational golf courses," he said. "It was kind of a reward for me. I've gotten a lot of offers. Friends would want to take me out to Pebble Beach, and I'd always decline and say, 'No, that's the holy ground. I'm not allowed to step foot on there unless it was a professional event.' I think I've earned my way up here and I'm enjoying every experience."

Hahn, born in Seoul, South Korea, and living in Alameda, jokingly said his friends now call him up requesting dance lessons and threaten to heckle him with signs during his rounds.

His agent, Ben Walter, said Hahn is living his dream.

"He's got the game to back up his personality," Walter said. "He's got a lot of feel (and a) lot of creativity. He practices a lot on his short game, so he's a feel player, and so that kind of feeds into his personalty. He's just a fun guy, too."

You only need to visit YouTube to see that.

• Read more articles by Matt Schwab

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