Two Korean golfers earn PGA tour cards

Korean golfers Noh Seung-yeol and Bae Sang-moon earned their PGA Tour cards for next year, finishing inside the top 25 at the PGA Qualifying Tournament on Monday.

At the Jack Nicklaus Stadium Course in La Quinta, California, Noh shot a final-round 5-under 67 to finish the tournament at 15-under 417, tying for third place, while Bae fired 6-under 66 in the final round, climbing up from 29th place to 11th place to capture his full-time playing privilege. He finished at 12-under 420 with Kevin Kisner over six rounds.

American Brendon Todd won this year’s qualifying tournament, better known as the Q-School, at 17-under 415 and earned $50,000 for the victory.

Noh, 20, secured the tour card on his second try. He failed to qualify from the second stage of the Q-School in 2008. He was the winner of the 2010 Malaysian Open and was the youngest ever golfer to win the Asian Tour money title last year.

Bae earned his tour card on his third attempt. The 25-year-old golfer faltered in 2008 and 2010 at the Q-School. He took the Korean tour’s money title in 2008 and 2009, and this year became the Japanese tour’s top money winner.

Both will join four other Koreans - K.J. Choi, Y.E. Yang, Charlie Wi and Kang Sung-hoon - next year on the PGA tour.

[kjoo@joongang.co.kr]