The Americans allowed only two and a half points during Sunday singles to retain the Presidents Cup. Tom Kim defeated Wyndham Clark 3&2 in the second Sunday singles game to win one of those two and a half points. But he didn’t have time to celebrate his win or stand by his teammates to share their loss. Instead, Kim headed to the airport to catch a flight to Japan for the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games.
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In the opening round today, the South Korean professional posted a three-under 67 for a T7 finish on the leaderboard. But he is just two strokes shy of the current co-leaders.
Everyone knows how skilled a professional Tom Kim is. But the challenge was to keep up with the physical demands of consistent play. He had just played all five matches at the Presidents Cup, then left to catch a flight to Japan before the biennial event concluded, and then got on the course to play in the Asian Games. Besides that, he also had to cope with a 14-hour time difference and the resulting jet lag.
“I’ve had six hours of sleep in the last 48 so I’m hanging in there,” Kim told AFP.
The four-time PGA Tour winner also added that he is happy to be back in Asia.
“It’s nice to be back in Asia. I don’t get to come back as much so it’s been fun and so far all good,” he added.
Being a regular on the PGA Tour, the South Korean professional has been residing in Dallas, Texas, for a few years now.
Although sleep-deprived, the World No. 32 performed well in the opening round to improve his chances of winning gold.
Tom Kim defied jet lag to shoot a three-under 67
Kim started on the 10th tee alongside Keita Nakajima (Japan) and Taichi Kho (Hong Kong) at 8:20 am local time.
After three consecutive pars, he hit his first birdie on the par-five 13th. Through the first nine holes, he carded three birdies and one bogey. On the back nine, he added two birdies (second and ninth holes) and one bogey (seventh). Collectively, he finished tied for seventh with a score of three-under 67.
With a round of five-under 65, Wei-Hsuan Wang and Kazuki Higa are the two co-leaders.
Although it was a good round for Tom Kim, the South Korean professional blamed lack of sleep for not being in the top three.
“I think on the back nine I started to feel it a little bit, especially playing five matches last week. It’s just a lot of golf,” he added. “Hopefully I’ll get a couple of decent sleeps and try to feel better.”
Winning any medal while representing your country is an honor in itself. But Kim had his eye on gold for another reason. South Korean law requires all able adults to serve in the military for 18 to 21 months. However, athletes and artists can get an exemption if they meet certain requirements. For athletes, it is winning any medal at the Olympics or a gold medal at the Asian Games.
“A gold medal would be great, but you just want to do well for your country,” Tom Kim said about winning the gold to avoid mandatory military service.
In addition to the individual stroke-play competition, Kim also has a chance to win gold in the team event.
The South Korean team finished second after the opening round
Tom Kim’s round of 67 helped the South Korean team get a second-place finish. His team members played an equally important role in that result. Doyeob Mun carded a round of four-under 66, while Seonghyeon Kim scored a two-under 68. Collectively, the team is seven-under 133.
“I think about it. It’s so tough,” said Seonghyeon Kim about the prospect of doing time in the army. “It would be so exciting (to win gold). I have two years military service (due) so I could stay on the PGA Tour. That’s my goal. Team gold is easier because we have the players.”
The Japanese team currently leads the round at nine-under 131. Current co-leader Kazuki Higa (65) and T3 Keita Nakajima (66) helped the team reach this feat. Taishi Moto’s weaker round (74) kept Japan’s lead modest, helping South Korea stay close.
Tom Kim has made a solid start despite the demanding schedule and lack of sleep that followed the Presidents Cup. His 67 keeps him close to the individual lead, while his score has also helped South Korea stay within reach in the team event. With three rounds still remaining, Kim and his teammates will have plenty of opportunities to close the gap and strengthen their push for Asian Games gold.