Asian Games 2026: Golfer Tom Kim wins gold to safe navy service exemption

Asian Games – closing spherical

-18 T Kim (Kor); -15 Ok Higa (Jpn), W Ding (Chn), S Kaewkanjana (Tha); -11 W-H Wang (Tpe)

Tom Kim gained gold on the Asian Games to safe an exemption from obligatory service in South Korea’s navy.

The 24-year-old led going into the ultimate spherical and produced a superb six-under-par 64 to complete 18 below and declare victory by three strokes.

There have been indicators of nerves with a bogey on the seventeenth however, after 5 birdies and an eagle previous to that, Kim had the margin for error and tapped in for par on the final earlier than letting out a roar, his reduction clear to see.

South Korean males are, in most circumstances, required to undertake between 18 and 21 months of navy service earlier than the age of 28.

However, the federal government rewards Asian Games champions and Olympic medal winners of any color with a service exemption bar primary coaching, which lasts lower than a month.