Bae determined to make his Presidents Cup special
By Nam Hyun-woo
INCHEON ― Presidents Cup player Bae Sang-moon seemed determined at making his last golf tournament before placing his career on hold for Korea’s mandatory military service something special.
The 29-year-old golfer talked about his expectation about the first Presidents Cup on his home soil; his impressions of the tournament’s venue ― the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea; and his hope to pair with Danny Lee, but did not comment on the issue of his military service.
“It’s really good to be back here and I’m feeling really good energy on this course,” Bae said during an interview. “The field has been well conditioned for all players to play good games.”
Among 24 golfers who will vie for the trophy during the four-day tournament, Bae is one of six who will make their Presidents Cup debut in Incheon. But the Korean has experienced this course the most among them, winning two trophies here in the 2013 and 2014 Shinhan Donghae Open. And this led the International Team Captain Nick Price to pick him as one of his two additional picks for the team.
For the Presidents Cup, the course underwent renovation, but Bae, who took a tour of the course early Tuesday, expressed his confidence that it has become better for “fairer” games.
“I guess I’m very familiar with the course’s condition right now. Greens and tees are the same, but, for example the fairway of the 11th hole has been stretched to the left and the rough has been set differently. However, overall, the course is pretty much the same except it has become better for more dynamic games,” Bae said.
To the question about his military duty, Bae said he was focused on the Presidents Cup, briefly adding “I’m genuinely honored to play in the Presidents Cup, because I’m personally going through a series of issues these days. And I will do my best to present what I have.”
On Oct. 2, Bae said it would have made the decision about his military service easier if the PGA Tour had guaranteed him a place on the circuit after his two years of military service. He said he has been guaranteed a one-season seed after his service.
As he said, the Presidents Cup will be a chance for him to recover his reputation among Koreans, who fiercely reject someone’s attempt to evade military duty. And he is determined to share the journey with Danny Lee, expressing his hope of having the Kiwi as a partner in the four-ball matches.
“I first met Danny in 2007 and I’ve kept in touch with him ever since. We talk to each other a lot, we live nearby and we also we play together a lot. More than anything, we talked about how wonderful it is if we could pair together and beat the Americans. So I think our friendship has been built on such a determination,” Bae said.
In the four-ball matches, starting Friday, two players from each team compete on a hole, thus four balls are in play. The score for a given hole is that of the lower scoring team member.
On the first day of the Presidents Cup, foursome matches, in which two players from a team sharing one ball, will be played. Bae said he wants to be paired with a player whose playing style is different from his and that will be helpful for the International Team.
“I think the dynamics of the game is different, and so its better to have someone who has a different capacity or capability. I played with Adam Scott today and he went like 30 to 40 yards ahead. So I thought it would be better to have two different players paired together because it will bring balance.” Thursday’s pairings will be announced by U.S. Team Captain Jay Haas and International Team Captain Nick Price on Wednesday.
On Monday, the International Team had their first full-member meeting. Bae said players, captain and vice captain had a good time, apart from being pressured over U.S. Team’s dominance in the previous Presidents Cups. “There was a lot of talk over how to pair players and I think the captains will spend a lot of time trying various combinations to make the best game.”