On Sunday, Seung-Yul Noh won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. At 22 years old, the South Korean native is the fourth player under the age of 25 to win on the PGA tour. He worked his way towards a two-stroke victory with a one-under-par 71.
During the event, Noh wore black and yellow ribbons on his hat as a tribute to the missing persons from a ferry accident in the waters of South Korea. He also said that he wanted to win in order to lift the spirits of his fellow South Koreans.
In 2010, English golfer Oliver Wilson tweeted that he played with Noh and said, “Keep an eye out for him. One of the best ball strikers in the world.” The tweet was posted just after Wilson lost to Noh.
Played with Seung-yul Noh today, 2010 Malaysian Open winner. Keep an eye out for him. One of the best ball strikers in the world.. Very …
— Oliver Wilson (@Oliver_Wilson) April 23, 2010
At just 17 years old, Noh won the Asian Tour. At 18, he became the second youngest victor in European Tour history when he won the Maybank Malaysian Open. A year later, he was ranked 61st in the world.
At Sunday’s event, Ko said that he “needed to get close” and give himself a “birdie chance” amidst the loud applause at the 18th hole. Noh is the 7th first time PGA winner of the event in the last decade. He finished 19-under 269 and won a prize of $1,224,000.
Robert Streb and Andre Svoboda tied for second with Streb shooting a 70 and Svoboda finishing with a 69.
What’s next in line for Noh? As a native of South Korea, he will have to serve two years in the Korean military. However, he has postponed his service after the Olympic Games in 2016 where he is hoping to compete for Korea, as winning a medal will permit him to waive his mandatory service to the military.
If Sunday was an indication of what’s to come for Noh, then his chances of skipping military service would be good.
Congrats to @nohsy0529 for winning the @Zurich_Classic this weekend #PGAShow pic.twitter.com/ZJHBiClz2w
— PGA Golf Shows (@PGAGolfShows) April 28, 2014
Image via YouTube