2026 Asian Games: Tom Kim two shots off lead in pursuit of military service exemption

Tom Kim, a 24-year-old star member of the International team, arrived in Japan on Monday night after traveling from Chicago. He began his first round at the Kasugai Country Club's East Course with a 3-under 67, setting himself up for an Asian Games competition where he is aiming for a military service exemption. Currently sitting seventh after the initial 18 holes, Kim trails Chinese Taipei's Wei-hsuan Wang and Japan's Kazuki Higa by two strokes.

The two individual players with the lowest scores on the team are South Korea and China, both at seven under. Higa's individual performance has contributed to Japan's team lead of two strokes heading into the second round.

According to South Korean law, a gold medal in either the men's or team competition would grant Kim an exemption from his mandatory military service. Once reaching the age of 19, all able-bodied males in South Korea must serve between 18 and 21 months in the military unless they possess a significant cultural justification to obtain an exemption, which would allow them to avoid standard active-duty for a few weeks of basic military training and community service.

At the 2026 Presidents Cup, Kim secured a solo victory for the International side, defeating two-time U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark 3 and 2. Fellow South Korean Sungjae Im won the other singles match for the shield, while Canadian Nick Taylor split his match against South Korean teammate Si Woo Kim, giving the International side a combined score of 2 1/2 points. Im and Presidents Cup teammate and countryman Si Woo Kim had previously earned their exemptions by winning the 2023 Asian Games by a margin of 25 strokes.