BOISE, Idaho – Entering the 72nd hole of the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft Nabisco in a four-way tie at the top, Sangmoon Bae hit his approach to six feet on the par-4 18th and sunk the ensuing birdie putt to claim a one-stroke victory at 19-under 265.

With the win at Hillcrest CC, Bae clinched his return to the PGA TOUR for the 2018-19 season.

“I talked to my caddie Matt and we needed a birdie on the last,” Bae said. “I had a perfect number for my second with 110 yards to the hole and I perfectly hit a 56-degree wedge. (I feel) just so successful this week, and after the military service it means a lot. I feel like I’m back.”

Bae, a two-time PGA TOUR champion, competed on TOUR in the 2017-18 season after completing two years of mandatory military service in his native South Korea.

“I thought it would not take that long (to get my game back), but I have struggled for almost a year,” Bae said. “My game is not that much different, but maybe a little (different) mentally. (This year), it’s a little different in my mind because I feel like I’m back to being a rookie. (I’m) more humbled and more patient.”

Bae looked to be distancing himself from the field after making birdie on the first three holes Sunday at Hillcrest CC. A string of pars combined with a bogey at the sixth allowed several players to make a run before three back-nine birdies earned Bae the win. The 32-year-old finished top-10 in both greens in regulation and scrambling, ending with a Sunday 5-under 66.

A trio of players finished one stroke shy at 18-under 266, including Roger Sloan, who will earn his return to the PGA TOUR for the 2018-19 season after competing on the Web.com Tour for the past three years. Sloan notched three top-10 finishes on the Web.com Tour this year, highlighted by a solo-fourth at the Panama Championship.

“It’s interesting because typically you’re trying to win a golf tournament, and in the back of your mind you know that a two-putt is probably good enough to solidify a job promotion,” Sloan said. “It was challenging, and I gave it a really good effort (on 18), but it just barely skimmed by the edge there. But at the end of the day it’s gratifying that a lot of hard work has paid off.”

Also returning to the PGA TOUR is Purdue University alum Adam Schenk. Needing a top-15 finish to regain his TOUR status, Schenk carded a bogey-free, 7-under 64 to finish T2. The 26-year-old made birdie on three straight, Nos. 14-16, before just missing a birdie putt on No. 17 that would have earned him a spot in a playoff.

Schenk earned three top-25 finishes on the PGA TOUR this season, including a career-best T7 at the 2018 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Anders Albertson was the third player to finish at 18-under after a scorching final-round, 9-under 62, and continued his strong play after locking up his first PGA TOUR card during the Regular Season. With a last name to match the tournament, Albertson was a fan favorite in Boise.

“I had a lot of support I think because people thought ‘It would be cool if this guy wins the tournament since his name is the sponsor,” Albertson said. “I was joking about it with my caddie Michael on 17. It was so weird.”

Fellow Georgia Tech alum Seth Reeves FaceTimed Albertson’s wife on the 18th green so she could see him complete the low round. The 62 was the low round of the tournament, and lowest in Boise since Peter Uihlein posted the score in 2017.

In addition to those listed above, Roberto Diaz and Dylan Frittelli looked to have locked up their PGA TOUR cards with strong finishes. Diaz carded a final-round, 3-under 68 while competing in the final group to finish solo fifth at 17-under 267. Needing a top-10 in order to likely earn a spot in The Finals 25, Frittelli birdied the last to finish T9 at 13-under 271.