(Asiad) S. Korea beat Japan for 4th straight men's football gold

When Kim Joo-hyung woke up on Saturday to prepare for the final round of men's golf at the Asian Games in Japan, the first thing he saw on his phone was a text message from Tiger Woods. The message simply read, "Just be you." This unexpected encouragement inspired Kim, who had been leading the competition for the 54 holes, to secure the men's individual gold medal at Kasugai Country Club East Course.

Kim shot a six-under 64 in the final round, finishing with a total score of 18-under 262. Kim explained that his philosophy was to simply play his game and trust that the results would follow. He had formed an unlikely friendship with Woods, despite a 25-year age gap, through a simulator golf league co-founded by the golf legend.

Kim, 24, is already a PGA Tour winner with four victories, four coming before he turned 21. This feat makes him the first player to secure multiple wins before the age of 21 since Woods in 1996. Kim emphasized that playing in an international tournament, such as the Asian Games, was a completely different experience compared to regular tour events.

He felt a heightened sense of tension every day from Thursday to Sunday, even though he had previously played at the Presidents Cup in Illinois. Kim's journey to the gold medal was intense, with him landing in Nagoya at 5 a.m. and playing his practice round in the rain while still jet-lagged. However, his fans traveling from Korea to support him throughout the competition gave him the strength to keep going.

Kim expressed gratitude to his fans for their unwavering support, crediting them for making his gold medal possible.