Tom Kim Wins Gold to Avoid Military Service

South Korean golfer Tom Kim won a gold medal at the Asian Games. He is a 24-year-old professional golfer. This victory is very important for his future career.

Usually, South Korean men must serve in the military. They must serve for 18 to 21 months before they are 28. However, the government has a special rule for sports champions. Asian Games gold medal winners do not do normal military service. They only do basic training for less than a month. Kim wanted this exemption to continue his golf career. Currently, he is number 32 in the world rankings. In his career, he already won four PGA Tour titles. He also won the Scottish Open in July.

The tournament was at the Kasugai Country Club in Japan. Kim travelled there quickly from the Presidents Cup in the United States. He had only six hours of sleep because of the journey. He also had to manage a 14-hour time difference.

Kim led the tournament before the final round. He played beautifully with five birdies and one eagle. He felt nervous and made a bogey on the 17th hole. However, he finished with a safe par on the last hole. He finished 18 under par and won by three shots. He let out a loud roar of relief.

Other famous South Korean players had different results. For example, football star Son Heung-min won gold in 2018. Consequently, he only served for three weeks in 2020. But Kim's teammate, SH Kim, is 28 years old. Unfortunately, he did not get the military exemption. South Korea only won silver in the team event. His other teammate, Mun Do-yeob, already finished his service. Tom Kim can now play golf without any big interruptions.