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Tom Kim flies from Medinah to the Asian Games with gold at stake
Kim won four points from five at Medinah. At Kasugai Country Club, team or individual gold would spare him 18 to 21 months of military service.
Tom Kim left the Presidents Cup at Medinah on Sunday afternoon, straight after his singles match, to fly to Japan for the Asian Games. The golf starts on Wednesday, and a gold medal would exempt the South Korean from military service.
Kim beat Wyndham Clark 3 and 2 in the second singles match on Sunday and finished the week with four wins from five matches. According to GOLF.com, he is the first International player to win four points at a Presidents Cup since 2015. The United States still won nine of the 12 singles to turn a three-point deficit into a 17-13 victory (our winner report).
Under South Korean law, most able-bodied men must complete between 18 and 21 months of military service. Athletes can be exempted if they win an Olympic medal of any colour or a gold medal at the Asian Games. Kim, now 24, has not yet served. At the last Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023, South Korea’s men won the team gold by 25 shots, with PGA TOUR players Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim in the side. Both were at Medinah this week.
Golf at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will be played at Kasugai Country Club (East Course) in Aichi Prefecture from 30 September to 3 October, in a time zone 14 hours ahead of Chicago. There are four medal events: men’s and women’s individual, and men’s and women’s team, each over four rounds.
According to the Associated Press, South Korea’s men’s team is Tom Kim, S.H. Kim and Do-yeob Moon. Host nation Japan’s side includes PGA TOUR member Keita Nakajima, Kazuki Higa, who topped the Asian Tour money list in 2025, and Taishi Moto. Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao arrives days after winning the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Sunday, his first Asian Tour title (read the report).
Kim was ranked 144th when he was picked for the Games team, AP reports. A Scottish Open win and a third place at the US Open this year have since taken him to 31st in the world.
Sources
- Golf Channel / AP: Tom Kim going from Presidents Cup to Asian Games with chance to be exempt from military service
- TSN / AP: Kim goes from Presidents Cup to Asian Games
- GOLF.com: Americans storm back to stun Internationals, win Presidents Cup
- Aichi-Nagoya 2026: Golf
- Wikipedia: Golf at the 2026 Asian Games
- Asian Tour: Thrilled Hung claims first Asian Tour title after 21-year wait
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