(Asiad) Inspired by Tiger Woods, Kim Joo-hyung does his thing, wins men's golf gold

On October 3, PGA Tour winner Kim Joo-hyung clinched the men's golf gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, propelling South Korea to a silver medal finish in the team event. The South Korean golfer shot a six-under 64 in the final round at the Kasugai Country Club East Course, concluding the tournament at 18-under 262. The competition was intense, with three players sharing the second-place spot after 72 holes.

Kazuki Higa of Japan claimed the silver medal, while Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand edged out Ding Wenyi of China for the bronze.

This victory marked a significant milestone for Kim, who will now be exempt from mandatory military service. His achievement is part of a growing list of top athletes who have benefited from this perk, including fellow PGA Tour veterans Kim Si-woo and Im Sung-jae, who secured the team gold medal three years ago.

As the team standings were determined by the best scores of the two top players from each country after every round, South Korea finished in second place behind China, with a total score of 26-under. Kim entered the final round with a one-stroke lead over Higa and Wang Hei-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei, sitting at 12-under. Ding birdied the first three holes to close the gap to just one stroke, but Kim reclaimed the lead after a birdie on the second hole, putting him at 13-under.

After saving par on the par-4 third hole despite an errant tee shot, Kim showcased his resilience by chipping in for a birdie on the par-3 fourth hole, now leading the field by two strokes with a score of 14-under. Ding continued to press the advantage with his fifth birdie of the day on the par-5 eighth hole, bringing his score to 14-under. Kim responded with a birdie of his own on the eighth hole, extending his lead to two strokes over Ding, with Higa trailing at 13-under.

Despite missing a birdie putt on the ninth hole and struggling on the 10th, Kim managed to keep his cool and birdied the 11th hole to set the stage for his gold medal win. With an eagle on the par-5 13th hole, Kim opened up a four-stroke lead, which he maintained with steady pars on the following three holes. As he closed out his victory with a par on the 18th hole, South Korea's team spirit was evident as Kim celebrated on the green, sealing a memorable triumph for the nation and the individual.