As the Presidents Cup came to an end last Sunday, Tom Kim dashed away from Medinah Country Club in a hurry.
While the American team was celebrating after being presented the trophy by Donald Trump, and Kim’s International teammates were reflecting on one that got away, Kim was rushing to the airport for a tournament with far higher stakes.
Away from the intense glare of the PGA Tour, Kim is playing in the Asian Games in Japan. It is a low-key tournament compared to the Masters, US Open or his usual jaunts.
But it carries a prize which could prevent his career from being ruined in its prime. Victory will see him avoid nearly TWO YEARS of South Korean military service.
Despite a 14-hour time difference from Chicago to Kasugai Country Club, Kim has shown no signs of jet lag or pressure.
He has raced to 12-under for the tournament after the first three rounds, one shot ahead of Wang Wei-hsuan of Taiwan and Japan’s Kazuki Higa entering the final round.
Tom Kim is leading the Asian Games golf tournament entering the final round in Japan
Kim is fighting for a gold medal that would earn him an exemption from military service
If he can close out victory, it will secure government exemption from the 18-21 months in military service that all South Korean males are required to complete before the age of 28.
Should he fail to secure that exemption then Kim, 24, faces being away from golf in the prime of his career in a crushing blow to his blossoming career.
Those who win gold medals at the Asian Games or any kind of medal at the Olympics are required to undertake only basic training of less than a month instead of the full military service.
Kim, currently ranked No.32 in the world, is desperate to avoid that scenario. The individual event is not the only scenario he can succeed, with a team event running simultaneously and the South Korean team leading by one shot heading into the final round.
At the last Asian Games in 2023, Sungjae Im and Si-Woo Kim secured military exemptions in the team event in similar circumstances.
‘This has been the longest four days of my career,’ Im said at the time. ‘Every hole felt so important, and I knew every shot counted for our team event. I wanted to fight for every shot and do the best I could until the finish.’
Previous South Korean stars such as eight-time PGA Tour winner KJ Choi and 2009 US PGA champion YE Yang completed their military service before they turned professional.
Another golfer, Sang Moon Bae, is currently serving in the military after a court case to avoid conscription to keep playing on the PGA Tour ruled against him.
Kim rushed off to catch a flight to Japan after playing in the Presidents Cup, in front of Trump
Kim won his singles match on Sunday but could not prevent USA’s dramatic comeback win
Kim has become one of the PGA Tour’s most popular stars in recent years and has won four times, rising as high as No.11 in the world rankings in 2023 after he finished runner-up at The Open.
Kim and Im were the only two Internationals players to win their singles matches in Sunday’s dramatic Presidents Cup finale.
‘It means a lot,’ Kim said after his final round. ‘I was second off, and I really felt like it was a calling or a responsibility to show up and try to put a point up early for the team.’
Asked about his flight to Japan and how long he could stay, he concluded: ‘As much as I can. I will be around my teammates, I’ll be rooting them on, and I’ll be here for a bit.’
