Tom Kim surged to the top of the leaderboard at the Asian Games on Friday, chasing a gold medal to avoid mandatory military service in South Korea.
What a round: Kim started two shots behind the leader, but then delivered a stellar round of 65 on the greens of Kasugai Country Club – including five birdies and an eagle. This gives him a one-shot lead heading into the final round at 12-under par. For Kim and his South Korean teammates, however, it's about much more than just a medal.
Normally, healthy South Korean men are required to serve 18 months to two years in the military before the age of 28. However, the government in Seoul rewards gold medals at the Asian Games or Olympic medals of any color with an exemption. In this context, the fairway becomes a personal runway to freedom.
The lead for the world No. 32 could have been even larger. On holes 14 and 18, birdie putts painfully lipped out, even though they seemed destined for the cup. Sometimes, you just have a bit of bad luck.
Lurking in a tie for second at 11-under par are yesterday's leader, Wang Wei-hsuan of Taiwan (68), and local golf hero Kazuki Higa of Japan. Higa (67) also saw his birdie putt on the 18th hole, which would have given him a share of the lead, slide by.
Kim embarked on a true whirlwind trip: He rushed from the Presidents Cup in the USA directly to Japan, only to tee off there 48 hours later. A long journey, six hours of sleep, a 14-hour time difference – and yet the 24-year-old South Korean delivered. A gold medal would prevent his flourishing career from suddenly being put on hold. He already has an Asian Tour Order of Merit title and four PGA Tour titles to his name, won the Scottish Open in 2026, and was visibly dejected when an Olympic medal slipped through his fingers on the final day in Paris in 2024, leaving him in seventh place.
In the men's team competition, South Korea also leads by one stroke after three rounds. A gold medal would spare Tom Kim and S.H. Kim their military obligation, regardless of individual results. For the third team member, Mun Do-yeob, this would come too late – he has already completed his service. S.H. Kim knows what's at stake: "I'm thinking about it. It's so tough," he said about the looming military service. "I'm 100 percent nervous, for sure. It's a lot of pressure. I could stay on the PGA Tour (with gold). That's my goal."
Urs Fights Her Way to the Top
Things also heated up in the women's competition. Pranavi Urs from India enters the final round of the women's event with a three-shot lead, after shooting a 66 at 4-under par to reach 15-under par overall. Urs started one shot behind leader Shannon Tan, but the golfer from Singapore had a round to forget. Tan made bogey
