Getty Image / Kevin C. Cox
The stakes at an Olympic Games are always high, as these athletes have worked their entire lives for a chance at a medal to make their country proud. For athletes from South Korea like golfer Tom Kim, the stakes are even higher.
South Korea’s mandatory military service has an exemption for medal winners at either the Olympic Games or a gold medal at the Asian Games, adding a huge incentive for athletes to earn a medal. Unfortunately, Tom Kim fell just short of a medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, and he was pretty emotional about it.
Tom Kim came into Sunday’s final round at Le Golf National with a chance to get on the podium, entering the 4th round -10, tied for sixth. While he played well, shooting a three-under 68, it wasn’t enough on a Sunday which saw guys like Scottie Scheffler go low, with Scheffler shooting a 62 to win by one at -19
He ended up T10, a good result, but four shots out of the medals. Silver was won by Tommy Fleetwood at -18 and bronze was won by Hideki Matsuyama at -17.
After the round, Tom Kim was pretty emotional about not getting a medal and was shown crying in the scorers’ tent after his round.
tom kim crying while signing his score card was not a visual i wanted to see
— Matt Gannon (@matt_gannon_) August 4, 2024
South Korea makes all non-disabled males complete 21 months of military service prior to age 35, as its crucial they have a large and ready military due to tensions with North Korea omnipresent on the Korean peninsula. There are ways to get out of it, like winning a medal, but it’s pretty strict. For instance, golfer Sangmoon Bae, at one time a top-20 player in the world, had to serve in 2018 and never returned to form.
According to Golf Digest, Kim had this to say when asked about whether his emotion was related to military service.
But, it’s hard to think that getting the exemption wasn’t on his mind at least somewhat. He’s only 22, so he has plenty of time and chances to earn an exemption. Fellow countrymen Sungjae Im and Si-Woo Kim earned one last year at the Asian Games by helping win team gold for South Korea in golf. The next Asian Games are in 2026 in Japan, and I’m sure that Tom Kim will want to be on the South Korea team to earn his exemption.
Kim, just 22, already has 3 PGA Tour wins and is one of the best young players in golf. He’s on the cusp of becoming a top ten player, as he’s currently ranked 11th.