PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The final pathway into the Masters runs through the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, where the winner earns an immediate trip to Augusta National if not already qualified.
But for S.H. Kim, the outcome doesn’t matter. He’s headed back to South Korea regardless.
Kim, who turns 28 in September, earned his PGA Tour card for the second time by finishing eighth on the Korn Ferry Tour points list in 2025. But mandatory military service in South Korea looms large. He received a 90-day travel extension at the start of the year that expires after the Texas Open (April 2-5).
“I’m playing until Valero,” Kim said through a translator after missing the cut at The Players Championship. “Anything after that is a lot of factors going into play. I might come back again this year. First I have to go back to Korea.”
Kim hasn’t wasted his limited time. He’s played every week he’s been eligible, with his best results coming early — T13 at the Sony Open and T18 at The American Express.
Military service has derailed South Korean careers before. Sangmoon Bae went from the Presidents Cup in 2015 straight into the military and hasn’t been the same since. Seung-yul Noh faced similar struggles when his return from conscription coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PGA Tour is working on a solution. Officials are finalizing an arrangement where Kim can receive a medical extension while staying sharp by playing on the Korea PGA circuit during weeks he wouldn’t be eligible for PGA Tour events.
The goal? Keep Kim ready for the Asian Games in late September — an increasingly crucial competition for South Korean golfers. Gold medal winners, either individual or team, earn exemption from military service.
Olympic medals also provide exemptions, which explains why Tom Kim was devastated after falling four shots short of bronze at the 2024 Paris Games.
Professionals competed in the Asian Games for the first time in 2023 (delayed a year by the pandemic). Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim teamed with two amateurs to win gold by 25 shots.
“I was still scared as (expletive),” Si Woo Kim said with a laugh, noting that world rankings determined team selection.
Tom Kim and S.H. Kim currently lead South Koreans in the world rankings among those still facing conscription. S.H. said team selection hasn’t been finalized, but he hopes to participate. A gold medal represents his only path back to the PGA Tour this fall.
The move to March
The Players Championship returned to its March slot in 2019, making room for the PGA Championship’s move to May and allowing the tour’s postseason to end earlier.
The TPC Sawgrass plays differently in March — greener and typically more lush with overseeding. Scoring has been slightly lower since the schedule change, but what’s more notable is the caliber of champions.
Cameron Young was the first Players champion ranked outside the top 10 since the return to March in 2019. He was No. 15 in the world ranking before jumping to No. 4 with his win.
In contrast, during the seven previous years in May, only two winners were ranked in the top 10 — Jason Day (2016) and Tiger Woods (2013), both No. 1 at the time.
Yella has a week
Sudarshan Yellamaraju just showed how one week can change everything, especially when that week is The Players Championship.
The Canadian rookie was sitting at 4-over late Friday afternoon, two shots above the cut line, when he birdied three of his last five holes. One of those came at the par-3 eighth playing 236 yards into the wind.
He followed with a stunning weekend, shooting 66-68 without a bogey until the 12th hole Sunday. His tie for fifth earned him $925,000 — more than the $874,957 he’d made in his entire career across the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas combined.
Yellamaraju also jumped 37 spots to No. 30 in the FedEx Cup. Data Golf now projects a 66% probability he’ll finish in the top 70 and advance to the postseason.
“I just wanted to play the best golf I could on the weekend. I think I kind of exceeded what I thought I could do,” he said. “I fought until the very end and never gave up, and that’s all I could wish for.”
It’s reminiscent of Danny Walker last year. As an alternate who got in when Jason Day withdrew, Walker made the cut on the number, went 66-70 on the weekend and tied for sixth. The 250 FedEx Cup points he earned at The Players represented 44% of his season total. He finished No. 97, narrowly keeping his card.
Daly goes from Hooters to Topgolf
John Daly needs a new Masters week headquarters after his longtime spot — the Hooters on Washington Road — was torn down last year. The solution? Topgolf.
After 28 years of selling merchandise and holding court at Hooters, the two-time major champion is partnering with Topgolf Augusta. He’ll turn it into his own 19th hole on Thursday and Friday of Masters week from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The venue sits about 5 miles from Augusta National, near the South Carolina border.
“This week has always been about the fans as much as the golf, and I’ve spent a lot of great nights hanging out with them over the years,” Daly said. “This time we’re bringing that energy to Topgolf, where people can grab a drink, take some swings and just have a good time together. I’m looking forward to kicking back, meeting some folks and keeping the party going after the rounds.”
Back again
Patrick Cantlay returns to Innisbrook this week for the first time since his runner-up finish at the 2017 Valspar Championship. That performance, in just his second tournament back from a severe back injury that nearly ended his career, secured his card for the rest of that year. He reached the Tour Championship in just 12 starts.
Cantlay’s return comes during a slower-than-usual start to 2024. He’s dropped to No. 35 in the world — down from No. 12 a year ago — with only two top-20 finishes and two missed cuts.
Divots
The American Express won by Scottie Scheffler is the only time in his six tournaments this year he has broken par in all four rounds… Chris Gotterup, Cameron Young and Jacob Bridgeman have earned the most world ranking points through 11 weeks of the year… Travis Smyth, who won the ISPS Handa Japan-Australasia Championship on a sponsor exemption, has clinched the Order of Merit on the PGA Tour of Australasia. That gets him a European tour card for 2027.
Stat of the week
For the third consecutive year, the winner of The Players Championship has started the final round at least four shots behind.
Final word
“My expectations are wildly unreasonable, so I think they’re less so now. This is a hard game and there’s a lot of people that are really good at it.” — Cameron Young.
