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Bae Sang-moon makes case against conscription with his game

January 10, 2015
Sang-Moon Bae, of South Korea, follows his shot from the second tee during the first round of the Tournament of Champions golf tournament, Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

Sang-Moon Bae, of South Korea, follows his shot from the second tee during the first round of the Tournament of Champions golf tournament, Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

By Brian Han

South Korean golfer Bae Sang-moon has been tied up in a controversy regarding mandatory military service issued by his homeland’s government, which requires him to put his blossoming golf career on hold for two years.

It looks like he’s making a case with his golf swing instead of his words.

Bae came out firing on all cylinders Thursday in Hawaii for the first tournament of the 2015 PGA season — the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua’s Plantation Course.

There’s only one player ahead of him after the first round, as Bae turned in an impressive 7-under performance in which he birdied six of nine holes on the front nine.

Only Russell Henley’s magical putter denied him the lead. Henley made eight birdies in a bogey-free round, with four of those birdies from 20 feet or longer.

It would seem misguided for the South Korean government to force Bae into conscription at this very moment especially if he keeps playing the way he did during the first round.

Bae’s mother stated that he had hired an attorney to help him extend his overseas travel permit, which had expired at the end of December 2014.

For more information on the legal specifics of the situation, read an earlier article here.