James Colgan checks in on Sungjae Im, who’s fresh off three weeks of his basic military training that is required by South Korean law.
Why is a twotime PJ tour champion spending this off seasonason training in the military? The story of golf’s wildest off season has a runaway winner and it’s Sunj M. Sunj announced on Friday morning that he had just completed 3 weeks of basic military training in his home country of South Korea. Sunj said it was the first time he’d gone more than 3 days without touching his golf clubs in more than 20 years and that he was able to survive the training without suffering any injuries. So why was he there? Under South Korean law, every man between the ages of 18 and 35 must fulfill a period of active duty military service. Under the Art and Sports Personnel System, some artists and athletes are allowed to forego their military service after a period of basic training. But getting out of active duty service isn’t as easy as being famous, as K-pop stars like BTS have proven. Athletes have to win medals in events deemed important to South Korea’s national identity, like the Olympics or the Asian Games. After winning gold at the 2023 Asian Games, Sanjay M became one of those lucky few. And now after finishing his basic training, he can return to life as a full-time PGA Tour star in 2026, maybe with a handful of new skills.
