LA QUINTA, Calif. – Seung-Yul Noh returns to the PGA Tour this week at The American Express following two years of mandatory military service in South Korea.

“It’s exciting because I feel like I just started as a pro (when he began his military service). Getting to see a lot of friends on Tour, it’s just exciting right now,” said Noh, who played twice on the Korean Tour last fall to prepare for his return.

Noh last played a Tour event in October 2017 and is playing this season on a major medical extension with 26 starts to earn 359 FedExCup points and retain his Tour card.

Noh said he was able to stay at home in Seoul during his two years of service and spent his days training with the military. “I did everything, winter training, summer training, shooting training, walking all day,” Noh said.

Each day after training he would go to either the practice range or the gym in order to be prepared for when he was able to return to the Tour.

Sangmoon Bae returned from his two years of military service in South Korea in 2018 and failed to keep his Tour card, but Noh is confident his extracurricular work the last two years will give him an opportunity to pick up where he left off.

“The swing feels pretty good, and the body is definitely getting better,” he said. “When I hit the ball on the range or during the practice rounds the swing feels pretty good. I know how to control the ball, but for two years I was mostly on the range and not the course, so it feels different but it’s getting close.”