For those who have not yet qualified for the Augusta Masters, the Valero Texas Open is one of the golden opportunities. Winning at San Antonio will guarantee a direct ticket to Augusta National. For S.H. Kim, however, the stakes are different. Even if he qualifies for the prestigious major, the professional golfer will have a much more important job to do.

“I’m playing until Valero. Anything after that is a lot of factors going into play. I might come back again this year. First I have to go back to Korea,” said Kim. 

Following his stint at San Antonio, Kim will be flying straight back to his home in South Korea. But why would a professional golfer want to give up the golden opportunity of playing in the Masters? The answer lies in the South Korean law. 

After placing eighth on the Korn Ferry Tour points list in 2025, Kim, who will turn 28 in September, earned a spot back on the PGA Tour. However, South Korea’s mandatory military service is a larger clock ticking away in the background. At the beginning of the year, he was given a 90-day travel extension, which expires immediately following the Texas Open (April 2–5).

Looking back at the history of the PGA Tour, though, Kim is not the only golfer to go through the challenging task of sacrificing two full years of professional golf for his country. 

For example, Sangmoon Bae had to return to his country while playing in the 2015 Presidents Cup. However, while he did return to mainstream golf, his form seemed to have deteriorated drastically. A similar pattern could be observed with the career of Seung-yul Noh. 

Thankfully, Kim looks to be in luck. According to reports, officials are trying to fulfill a plan that would permit Kim to take a medical extension while continuing to compete on the Korea PGA circuit during the weeks he would not be permitted to play on the PGA Tour, including majors and signature events. And the main goal is to keep him in form for the Asian Games, which are extremely important to players like Kim, since gold medal winners in the Asian Games are exempt from military service. 

However, before anything else, Kim will look to improve his performance.

S.H. Kim’s promising 2026 start fades with missed cut at Players Championship

S.H. Kim finished eighth on the Korn Ferry Tour points list in 2025, earning him a spot on the PGA Tour for 2026. Then, on January 15, he started his campaign with a T13 finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Following that, he maintained the momentum and had a recent run in The American Express as he ended tied for eighteen. However, following his stint at the AmEx, his performance saw a slump again as he finished in the 63rd position in the Farmers Insurance Open and at T54 in the WM Phoenix Open. 

For the 2026 PGA TOUR season, S.H. Kim has made 5 of 7 cuts and currently ranks 157th in the Official World Golf Ranking as of March 15, 2026. And owing to his recent struggles, he missed the cut at the Players Championship. Now, as his near future in the sport remains uncertain, only time will tell how the future of the South Korean tour pro will unfold.