Sang-Moon Bae Returns After Two Year Military Service

The 31-year-old is back competing this week after two years serving in the South Korean military

Sang-Moon Bae Returns
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The 31-year-old is back competing this week after two years serving in the South Korean military

Sang-Moon Bae Returns After Two Year Military Service

Sang-Moon Bae makes his long-awaited return to professional golf this week after serving a 21-month military service in South Korea.

All able-bodied South Koreans aged 18-31 must complete military service in their home country. The 31-year-old was serving as a rifleman.

He tees it up this week in the Donghae Open, an event he has won twice, co-sanctioned on the Korean and Asian Tour where he stands at three over par after day one.

Related: Why are South Koreans so good at golf?

Bae will return to the PGA Tour after the Playoffs thanks to an exemption from the Tour.

The two-time PGA Tour winner has full playing rights for the 2017-18 season, which begins in the first week of October at the Safeway Open.

Sang-Moon Bae returns

Sang-Moon Bae with the Frys.com Open trophy in 2014

“I want to thank the PGA Tour for allowing me to retain my membership and I feel fortunate for its consideration,” he said.

“If I’d had no exemption, I would have to enter the Web.com Tour. But since I don’t have to, I feel more comfortable and can play the tournament with confidence.”

Bae won the 2013 Byron Nelson Championship before wrapping up his second PGA Tour title a year later at the Fry.com Open.

He won just shy of $2.6m in 2015 and played in the Presidents Cup in his home country before his military service began in November.

Sang-Moon Bae returns why are south koreans so good at golf

Sand-Moon Bae claimed a maiden PGA Tour title at the Byron Nelson Championship in 2013

He said, "I remembered vividly my first time hitting the golf ball again after about five or six months in the army.

“Every minute was so precious and I really treasured each time when I was out on the golf course or at the driving range,” he said. “I’m very happy to be back.

“I thought only about getting discharged when I was in the military."

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV