Sang-Moon Bae seeks exemption from military service with a win in the major championships - Golf News
The PGA Tour rookie, Sang-Moon Bae has said that if he succeeds in registering a win in any of the four major golf championships, or receives a gold medal in the Olympics, he will get an exemption from serving in the military.
In South Korea, Bae’s native country, it is a requirement for every citizen to serve in the army at least once in their lifetime.
According to the eligibility criteria, men are allowed to serve their military-service period after they turn 21.
According to his management team, one can serve for the military till 31 if he/she has some other reservations in their life.
Therefore, Bae still has six years ahead of him to try for a win in the major championships that will allow him to continue his golfing career without any pause.
He has recorded a total of 11 professional wins during his career, including three each on the Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour.
He also led the money list on the Japan PGA Tour in 2011, as he showed consistent performances throughout the season.
Moreover, he was close to a win on the PGA Tour when he lost to Luke Donald in the playoffs in the Transitions Championship in March 2012.
In the Official World Golf Rankings, he currently holds the 35th position and is making his first start in the Players Championship, scheduled from May 10 to 13, 2012.
He went out for the practice round on Tuesday with his countryman and defending champion, KJ Choi.
However, the rain forced him to return back to the clubhouse after hitting just a few shots.
“I tried to pick his brain a little bit during our short time together,” Bae said. “KJ said not to be too aggressive”.
He also told that Choi’s performance in last year’s edition of the tournament has really given him confidence to perform well in the tournament.
“It gave me that much more confidence coming over here,” Bae said.
Bae plans to work extra hard on his game to bring as much improvement as he can in his game, which will help him earn his first victory on the PGA Tour.
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