Sang-Moon Bae struggled in his first competitive tournament in return to golf following a two-year stint in the South Korean military. Playing in the Shinhan Donghae Open — an event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Korean PGA — the 31-year-old failed to find his footing, shooting a seven-over two-day total to miss the cut by five shots. It was his first professional appearance since the 2015 Presidents Cup.
Two years ago, Bae was in the midst of a career campaign on the PGA Tour. He won the Frys.com Open, racked up over $2.6 million in earnings and earned a spot on the Presidents Cup’s International team, held in his native country of South Korea. Unfortunately for Bae, other responsibilities called, as his homeland requires all able-bodied males 18-to-35 to complete a two-year military commitment. Bae sought a wavier from the courts but lost his battle, and was forced to leave his sport for service.