Tom Kim potentially has a bigger life circumstance to tend to than a celebration for winning the Presidents Cup, and so he apparently won’t be at Medinah Country Club if his International teams holds its lead and prevails on Sunday.
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The Associated Press reported on Saturday night that two people involved with the International team confirmed that Kim is scheduled to leave Chicago for Japan late on Sunday afternoon because he is entered to play in the Asian Games that start on Wednesday. The stakes are high: If the 24-year-old Kim wins either the gold medal or a team medal, he would be excused from mandatory military service in his native South Korea. Able-bodied men are expected to begin their service by the age of 28.
With that schedule, it is no surprise that International captain Geoff Ogivly put Kim out in the second of 12 singles matches on Sunday with the visitors leading 10½-7½ and trying to win their second Cup ever in 16 tries. Kim takes on Wyndham Clark and has played in all four of the possible matches so far, posting a 3-1 record with partner Si Woo Kim.
In singles, Kim has yet to win in two previous Presidents Cup appearances. He halved against Sam Burns in Montreal two years ago and Max Homa beat him 1 up in 2022 at Quail Hollow.
If the Internationals do win, they would certainly miss the lively presence of Kim, who has been a lightning rod for US players and fans with his enthusiastic celebrations in his three Cups.
Kim has been a professional golfer for eight years now and has earned four victories on the PGA Tour. He enjoyed a resurgent campaign this year, with a win in the Genesis Scottish Open and three other top-10 finishes.