(Photo credit score: Jerod Ringwald)
Tom Kim claimed the gold medal within the particular person stroke-play occasion on the Asian Games in Japan on Saturday, a victory that additionally offers the South Korean a full exemption from the nation’s obligatory army service requirement.
Kim shot a 64 to win the Asian Games and the 24-year-old from Seoul admitted he entered the ultimate spherical feeling each kind of strain to ship.
‘I simply tried to play one of the best for my nation. Selfishly — I did not actually take into consideration myself,’ Kim stated. ‘I simply thought I wish to win a medal for my nation.’
Kim was 18-under for the match. He stated he ‘tried to not interested by’ the obligatory service in South Korea’s army. Able-bodied males within the nation are required a minimal 18-month stint within the army, which might have taken Kim out of PGA Tour motion at a key time in his profession.
Kim performed for the worldwide staff within the Presidents Cup in Chicago final week and gained his particular person match-play occasion over Wyndham Clark on Sunday. Kim then flew to Japan to compete within the Asian Games.
He entered the ultimate spherical with a one-shot lead over Wei-hsuan Wang and Kazuki Higa, who had been each 11-under coming into play on Saturday.
Kim additionally gained the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kim narrowly missed an opportunity to safe a army exemption by medaling within the Games. He ended the match tied for eighth.
Fellow Korean Seong-hyeon Kim, 28, fell wanting the identical objective. A staff gold would have granted him the army exemption, however South Korea gained silver, ending two pictures behind China.
–Field Level Media