Just last year, then ranked 36th in the world, Byeong Hun An admitted that 2024 was behaving like the “best year so far in my career.” Win didn’t come, but the confidence stayed. Enough for him to confess next: “Three years ago I was the 300th player in the world, and now I feel like I am in the top 30-40 players in the world.” He is no longer among the top 40 (now ranked 79th), but he is playing well. The reason? You can easily credit the guy behind his gameplay: Justin York, aka “Birddog,” with whom An enjoys a great relationship.

York was born in Phoenix, Arizona, schooled in football at Paradise Valley High, and a national title winner with the Glendale Gauchos in 2000. He also attended Arizona State University and started with football at the college level instead of golf. In fact, that remains one of his obsessions still. In an interview with The Caddie Network, York listed his hobbies outside golf as baseball, football, video games, and weight training.

But that does not mean he was entirely free of the golf spirits. Growing up, he admired Justin Leonard’s game, thanks to an introduction to the sport by his grandfather, a member of the Emery Country Club in Amarillo, Texas. Now, he enjoys caddying at Quail Hollow and loves playing at Whisper Rock. But if he weren’t a caddie, he’d likely be shuffling cards as a pro poker player, admitted (once again) via The Caddie Network.

When he’s not out caddying, York calls Scottsdale home with his wife, Cinamon. He’s a fan of Bosco’s, a Scottsdale pizza spot that’s a regular stop, and the “Dallas Cowboys” is his favorite sports team. Outdoor adventures are also his thing: snowboarding, hiking, and biking. York’s also fueled by inspiration from Arnold Schwarzenegger and a love for the classic film ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’ Pretty relatable.

Regardless, York’s own big break came in 2008, when he joined forces with Roger Tambellini on the Nationwide Tour. In fact, their winning moment on the Nationwide Tour is still York’s best golf memory. Besides Tambellini, Justin has worked with plenty of star powers, including Josh Teater, YE Yang, Chez Reavie, KJ Choi, Adam Schenk, and Byeong Hun An, aka the 34-year-old Ben An.

And Ben An’s partnership with Justin York has been fruitful enough. The highlights? That includes top-10 finishes at the 2023 Valero Texas Open and Genesis Scottish Open, and a runner-up finish at the Wyndham Championship. It continued in 2024 with them achieving pretty good results together again, including a fourth-place finish at The Sentry, a runner-up spot at the Sony Open in Hawaii, and a third-place finish at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Yes, An’s second appearance at a major, the Masters 2024, also came with York in his bag. Plus, this season, An’s has achieved two top 10s with York. And now, he is on the verge of winning his first Tour event at the 2025 Baycurrent Classic with “Birddog” on his bag. And if that particular nickname — “Birddog” — has raised your curiosity, here’s the story to quell it.

The hilarious story behind Justin York’s nickname, “Birddog”

Justin York’s nickname, “Birddog,” originated from his uncanny ability to sniff out lost balls on the course. The story dates back to 2011, when York was caddying for Chesson Hadley at Riviera Country Club. On a rainy Friday, when they were playing with Padraig Harrington and Pat Pеrеz, Harrington’s wayward shot into the thick fescue seemed lost forever. A search party was started, but it was Justin York who found not one, not two, not even three, but five or six balls. All on his own. That needs some serious skills.

Justin “Birddong” York shared the story with his caddie friends, including Andy Sanders and Mike Christensen, later that day when they stayed at the Penmar Golf Course. It was entirely York’s fault, if you ask us. After all, it was he who boasted that he was good at “bird-dogging” balls. Both Sanders and Christensen loved the term, and the nickname “Birddog” was born. Initially, York wasn’t fond of the nickname, but it stuck, and now he has embraced it.

During an interview with The Caddie Network, he admitted the same, confessing, “Birddog, it was given to me by Andy Sanders and Mike Christensen,” and “They called me it once and it stuck.” Indeed, it’s a pretty hilarious nickname.