Tom Kim wins Asian Games gold with 18-under total to secure military exemption

Victory on the final green

Tom Kim entered Saturday's final round at the East Course of Kasugai Country Club in Nagoya, Japan, holding a one-stroke advantage. The 24-year-old South Korean golfer produced a six-under-par 64 to finish at 18-under 262, securing individual gold by three strokes. Kim built his final round on five birdies and an eagle before dropping a shot with a bogey on the par-four 17th hole. He recovered on the 18th green, tapping in for par before dropping his club and shouting in celebration. The three-stroke margin separated him from a three-way tie for second place at 15 under par featuring Kazuki Higa of Japan, Ding Wenyi of China, and Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand.

South Korean service exemption rules

Under South Korean law, all able-bodied male citizens must complete between 18 and 21 months of military service before reaching the age of 28. The government grants exemptions to athletes who win any Olympic medal or an Asian Games gold medal, reducing their obligation to a basic military training course lasting under a month followed by transfer to the reserve list. Prior beneficiaries include soccer player Son Heung-min, who completed three weeks of service in 2020 after winning the 2018 Asian Games, and baseball player Shin-Soo Choo. Kim had narrowly missed qualifying for an exemption at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he sat in third place after the opening round before finishing eighth. With Kim turning 28 before the 2030 Asian Games, the event in Japan and the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics represented his remaining opportunities to avoid an extended interruption to his playing career.

Travel and career turnaround

Kim's victory concluded a demanding two-week stretch across multiple continents. Days before teeing off in Japan, he competed for the International team at the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club near Chicago. Kim finished as the only player from either side to win four matches, defeating Wyndham Clark in Sunday singles as well as Chris Gotterup and Xander Schauffele in team sessions to record a 4-1 record. Immediately after finishing his singles match, Kim boarded a flight across 14 time zones to Japan, preparing for the tournament on roughly six hours of sleep. The victory follows a competitive resurgence for the world number 32, who won three PGA Tour events before turning 23 but lost his full tour exemption during a form slump in 2024 and 2025. Kim rebounded in May 2026, finishing solo third at the US Open and winning the Scottish Open by two strokes in July before qualifying for the Tour Championship.

Team silver and divergent outcomes

While Tom Kim secured individual gold, the South Korean men's squad missed out on the team title. China, led by Ding Wenyi, claimed team gold with a score of 28 under par, finishing two strokes ahead of South Korea's silver-medal total. The second-place finish resulted in differing fates for the South Korean roster. Team member Mun Do-yeob had already fulfilled his military duties prior to the competition. In contrast, 28-year-old PGA Tour member SH Kim, who finished 24th in the individual event, needed a gold medal to gain an exemption. Because South Korea took silver, SH Kim must now pause his professional golf career to fulfill his mandatory military commitment.