After completing military service, ‘Reserve’ players will return to the KPGA Tour in 2024.
Four players, led by Lee Chang-woo, Seo Hyung-seok, Park Jung-hwan, and Cha Yul-gyeom, submitted applications to return to military service in the 2024 season.
Lee Chang-woo, who joined the army in December 2021 and was discharged in June last year, said, “I served in the military as a marksman in the 5th Artillery Brigade,” adding, “I’m happy to finish my service in good health,” and added, “I missed you so much because I’m away from the tour for two years.”
Lee Chang-woo, who won the KPGA Tour’s ‘Dongbu Fire and Promy Open’ in 2013 when he was an amateur, debuted on the KPGA Tour in 2015. He played in 11 competitions that year and passed the cut in 10 competitions. He was named in the TOP 10 five times and showed his potential by tying for first in the TOP10 final.
In 2016, the second year, he won the “Deokchun Award”, the lowest number of strokes, and finished second in Genesis points by making cuts in all competitions he participated in. 스포츠토토
Since then, he has suffered a slump for a while. However, he achieved his first professional debut by winning the 2020 Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Cup Choi Kyung-ju Invitational final with a fantastic shot eagle after a neck-and-neck race to Game 4 of overtime.
Lee Chang-woo, who succeeded in reviving, competed in 17 competitions throughout 2021. He continued his performance by making the cut in 11 competitions, including three in the TOP 10, and joined the army in December after the end of the season.
“I continued physical and weight training during and after my military service. I gained eight kilograms compared to before joining the military. I also gained 10 meters in shot distance. Currently, I am training and practicing short games such as putt and wedge shot. I am focusing on regaining my sense of play through rounds,” Lee said.
“I feel a lot of pressure to come back. But my goal is to win,” he said. “I will do my best to prepare for the opening game with the mindset of a new beginning. I will show my fans how much I have improved.”
Following Lee Chang-woo, Seo Hyung-seok will also return to the tour this season.
