Sang moon bae biography of martin

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — He was away from golf for two years, and his world ranking plummeted lower than it had been at any point in his career.

For Sangmoon Bae, the re-entry has not gone as well as he would have liked.

Bae started well enough at the Wells Fargo Championship until his five birdies were wasted by five bogeys, and he ended up missing the cut for the ninth time in 13 starts on the PGA Tour this year. He knows the game that took him to 13 wins worldwide, including two on the PGA Tour and a spot in the Presidents Cup, is still in there.

"I think my game is a lot better than before. My swing is better," Bae said. "I've kind of lost my feel how to play golf. Not how to swing — I forgot how to play golf."

Bae was in the final match at home in South Korea in at the Presidents Cup, and he flubbed a chip on the 18th hole that was the International team's last chance to win the trophy. That was his final competition before he faced two-year mandatory military service.

He was the second-best player from South Korea in the world ranking (No. 88) going into the Presidents Cup. When he returned, he was No. 1, in the world.

Bae, who lost an appeal to extend his work permit to play golf, was in the Army with kids some 10 years younger than him.

"I wasn't able to play there because I was a rifleman," he said. "I had a five- or six-day holiday every month, but Korea is really cold in the winter. Five days is not enough to play and I was happy in that time to hang out with my family. I didn't have to think about the military."

He had never shot a rifle before he joined the Army.

"I learned. I was good at it," he said with a laugh. "We didn't shoot every day, it was more training. We had a lot of running, working out and military theory, so we studied. We wake at 6 a.m. every day, the same schedule."

The food?

"Not as good as it is here," he said with another laugh from the Quail Hollow C

• AFP, IRVING, Texas

South Korea’s Bae Sang-moon won his first PGA Tour title on Sunday, firing a one-under 69 to win the US$ million Byron Nelson Championship by two strokes over Keegan Bradley of the US.

In windy conditions at the TPC Four Seasons Resort course, the year-old South Korean finished on under to hold off PGA Championship winner Bradley, who shot 72, with Masters winner Charl Schwartzel third on

“This course was really tough,” Bae said. “The winds were very strong, but I did very well.”

Bae, who had won 11 times worldwide previously but never in a PGA Tour event, made his first appearance at the Byron Nelson a memorable one, becoming the PGA Tour’s first Asian-born winner since Kevin Na of the US in in Las Vegas.

“I’m very very happy. I had a great time,” Bae said. “I was a little nervous, but I did my best today.”

Bae, who won the Japan Tour money title in , tapped in a four-footer for par at the 18th to seal the victory, raised his arms and looked skyward with a big smile.

Bradley, who won his first PGA Tour title at the Byron Nelson, was foiled in his bid to be the event’s first wire-to-wire winner since Tom Watson in He led Bae by a stroke when the final round began.

“I’m disappointed, but I’ll get over it,” Bradley said. “Moon played really well. He’s a great guy and very good player.”

Bradley matched Bae for the lead at the par-four 15th hole by sinking a foot birdie putt, while the South Korean saw his five-foot par putt lip out.

Bae’s bogey opened the door for South Africa’s Schwartzel, who sank a six-foot par putt seconds later at 17 to stay one behind the leaders, but a bogey at the last doomed Schwartzel’s title bid.

At the par-five 16th, Bae sank a six-foot birdie putt and Bradley lipped out on a four-foot birdie bid, putting Bae back on top with two holes remaining.

Bradley went over the green at the par-three 17th and took another bogey to fa

LA QUINTA, Calif. – It was a moment that occurred with little fanfare. Its importance can’t be understated, though. Y.E. Yang faced an 8-foot putt on the final hole of the Q-School, thinking he’d earn his PGA Tour card even if he missed. He asked his caddie for confirmation. “No, make!” A.J. Montecino implored, informing Yang that the bogey putt was mandatory.

Yang sank it to earn his card without a shot to spare. “The rest is history,” Montecino said. Yang went on to win the PGA Championship, becoming the first Asian-born major champion. It’s all but guaranteed he doesn’t earn his way into the PGA, let alone make history at Hazeltine, if he misses that final Q-School putt.

Yang said at the time he hoped his victory would inspire his countrymen to play their trade in the United States. His impact already is evident, just three years after his historic victory.

The final threesome Sunday at PGA Tour Q-School features two young Koreans: Meen-Whee Kim, 20, and Dong-Hwan Lee, Lee will start Q-School’s fifth round with a two-shot lead over Kim, Vaughn Taylor, Richard H. Lee and Edward Loar. This could be the third consecutive year that multiple Korean players earn PGA Tour cards at Q-School. Two Koreans earned cards at both the and Q-Schools. No other country, besides the United States, had multiple graduates at both Q-Schools. Last year’s Korean graduates, Sang-Moon Bae and Seung-Yul Noh, had successful rookie seasons, both earning more than $1 million.

Edward Loar will join Kim and Dong-Hwan Lee in Sunday’s final group. Loar may be a native Texan, but he can offer perspective on the growth of Asian golf. Loar played in Asia from His two victories include the Korea Open.

“When I started playing in Asia in , you could just go over there and pretty much tee it up and make a cut,” Loar said. “Now, the level of play is so much higher.”

Rickie Fowler came back from his Korea Open victory raving about t

After squandering a four-stroke lead in the final round, the year-old South Korean beat Keegan Bradley by two strokes for a win in the United States to go with his 11 international victories on the Korea, Japan and Asian tours.

"It's something I've always dreamed of, winning on the PGA Tour," Bae said. "It was surreal to have Mrs. (Peggy) Nelson there and with all the history I was in awe, actually, so almost I didn't know how to react."

Bae finished at under with a closing 1-under 69 on a day with wind gusting to near 40 mph at times, similar to conditions two years ago when Bradley got his first PGA Tour win at TPC Four Seasons. Bradley shot 72 this time.

Four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the front nine gave Bae a four-stroke advantage in the final group. But he made double-bogey at No. 9 and a bogey at the next hole.

After some nice par saves, Bradley finally got even with a birdie at the 15th hole, a footer that had just enough to get into the cup. But he missed a short birdie putt at the next hole to fall behind for good.

"When my iron play came back in the latter part of the round, I had confidence," Bae said. "On that shot on 17, I knew it was short, and the wind pushed it over to the right, and I was happy and relieved that it turned out OK."

Bradley was trying to become the Nelson's first wire-to-wire winner since Tom Watson in Bradley set the course record with an opening 60 even with two bogeys.

"I'm pretty disappointed, but Moon played very well," Bradley said. "I just didn't play great today, but I hung in there. I chipped away. When I made that putt on 15, I was pretty confident that I was going to win."

Charl Schwartzel, the Masters champ, shot a 68 to finish third at 10 under. Justin Bolli shot a bogey-free 65 for the best round of the day and matched his career-best finish of fourth. A stroke further back at were Morgan Hoffmann (66), Martin Kaymer (68) and Scott Piercy (72).

Bae won $ million, ne