Tom Kim Wins Gold at the Asian Games and Avoids Military Service

Tom Kim didn't just win a golf tournament at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. With his gold medal in the individual competition, the 24-year-old South Korean also secured an exemption from his home country's regular military service. In South Korea, men subject to conscription must enlist before their 28th birthday; service typically lasts 18 to 21 months.

Kim sealed his victory on Saturday with a strong final round. A 64—six strokes under Par—brought his total to 18 under Par. He won by a three-stroke margin. The runners-up had to compete against each other in a playoff for the silver and bronze medals.

The South Korean had started the final day with a narrow lead. He made four Birdies on the front nine. After another Birdie on the 11th hole, he pulled further ahead of the field with an Eagle on the 13th. A Bogey on the 17th hole did nothing to change the outcome. On the 18th green, Kim sank the decisive short Putt—and could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Relief after a nerve-wracking final day

“I think this day was the longest of my life. It was only five or six hours, but definitely the longest. I’m just glad it’s over,” Kim said after the victory, according to Reuters. The gold medal, however, means more to him than the personal exemption from military service. “I’m even prouder that I was able to win a medal for my country,” he told the AP news agency.

South Korean athletes can receive an exemption from regular military service for winning a gold medal at the Asian Games or an Olympic medal. At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Kim narrowly missed a medal, finishing eighth in the golf tournament. In Japan, he was now under corresponding pressure. “I tried not to think about it. I just wanted to play my best golf for my country,” he said, according to the AP.

From the Presidents Cup to Japan

The week leading up to the tournament was also unusually packed. Kim played for the International Team at the Presidents Cup, where he won his singles match against American Wyndham Clark 3&2. He then traveled from the Chicago area to Japan. According to a report, he didn’t arrive until Tuesday morning and, despite jet lag, completed a practice round just a few hours later.

Before Kim’s final round, Tiger Woods—his friend and teammate in the “TGL” indoor league—also sent a brief message. “Just be yourself. No more, no less,” Woods wrote, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap. Kim later said he wanted to send Woods a photo of himself biting his gold medal.

In the team competition, South Korea missed out on the title. The team finished the tournament at 26 under Par, two strokes behind China. The silver medal wasn’t enough to secure the gold-medal-dependent exemption that Kim’s teammate S.H. Kim had been hoping for. Tom Kim’s individual victory secured him the exemption regardless of the team’s result.

A Gold That Clears the Way Forward

This success comes on the heels of a strong year for Kim. In July, he won the Genesis Scottish Open—his fourth title on the PGA Tour—and at the Presidents Cup, he was one of the International Team’s standout players. Now he can plan his athletic future without the interruption of mandatory military service. He has already set a new goal for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles: gold for South Korea.