Because the Presidents Cup got here to an finish final Sunday, Tom Kim dashed away from Medinah Nation Membership in a rush.
Whereas the American staff was celebrating after being introduced the trophy by Donald Trump, and Kim’s Worldwide teammates had been reflecting on one which bought away, Kim was dashing to the airport for a match with far greater stakes.
Away from the extreme glare of the PGA Tour, Kim is taking part in within the Asian Video games in Japan. It’s a low-key match in comparison with the Masters, US Open or his regular jaunts.
But it surely carries a prize which might stop his profession from being ruined in its prime. Victory will see him keep away from practically TWO YEARS of South Korean navy service.
Regardless of a 14-hour time distinction from Chicago to Kasugai Nation Membership, Kim has proven no indicators of jet lag or stress.
He has raced to 12-under for the match after the primary three rounds, one shot forward of Wang Wei-hsuan of Taiwan and Japan’s Kazuki Higa getting into the ultimate spherical.
Tom Kim is main the Asian Video games golf match getting into the ultimate spherical in Japan
Kim is combating for a gold medal that will earn him an exemption from navy service
If he can shut out victory, it is going to safe authorities exemption from the 18-21 months in navy service that every one South Korean males are required to finish earlier than the age of 28.
Ought to he fail to safe that exemption then Kim, 24, faces being away from golf within the prime of his profession in a crushing blow to his blossoming profession.
Those that win gold medals on the Asian Video games or any sort of medal on the Olympics are required to undertake solely fundamental coaching of lower than a month as an alternative of the total navy service.
Kim, presently ranked No.32 on this planet, is determined to keep away from that situation. The person occasion isn’t the one situation he can succeed, with a staff occasion operating concurrently and the South Korean staff main by one shot heading into the ultimate spherical.
On the final Asian Video games in 2023, Sungjae Im and Si-Woo Kim secured navy exemptions within the staff occasion in comparable circumstances.
‘This has been the longest 4 days of my profession,’ Im stated on the time. ‘Each gap felt so vital, and I knew each shot counted for our staff occasion. I needed to battle for each shot and do the perfect I might till the end.’
Earlier South Korean stars reminiscent of eight-time PGA Tour winner KJ Choi and 2009 US PGA champion YE Yang accomplished their navy service earlier than they turned skilled.
One other golfer, Sang Moon Bae, is presently serving within the navy after a court docket case to keep away from conscription to maintain taking part in on the PGA Tour dominated in opposition to him.
Kim rushed off to catch a flight to Japan after taking part in within the Presidents Cup, in entrance of Trump
Kim received his singles match on Sunday however couldn’t stop USA’s dramatic comeback win
Kim has develop into one of many PGA Tour’s hottest stars in recent times and has received 4 occasions, rising as excessive as No.11 on this planet rankings in 2023 after he completed runner-up at The Open.
Kim and Im had been the one two Internationals gamers to win their singles matches in Sunday’s dramatic Presidents Cup finale.
‘It means loads,’ Kim stated after his closing spherical. ‘I used to be second off, and I actually felt prefer it was a calling or a duty to indicate up and attempt to put a degree up early for the staff.’
Requested about his flight to Japan and the way lengthy he might keep, he concluded: ‘As a lot as I can. I can be round my teammates, I will be rooting them on, and I will be right here for a bit.’
