Tom Kim has explained why he broke down in tears after missing out on a medal at the 2024 Olympics golf tournament, insisting it had nothing to do with his future military service.
The South Korean golfer had put himself in the driving seat to land a bronze medal for most of the final day at Le Golf National before wrecking his chances on the final hole.
He played a double-bogey on the 18th, which saw him tumble down the order, and he eventually finished eighth on the leaderboard.
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USA's Scottie Scheffler took the gold on -19, with Team GB's Tommy Fleetwood a shot adrift to claim the silver medal and Hideki Matsuyama beating Kim to bronze for Japan.
The 22-year-old would have been able to avoid carrying out his compulsory military service in South Korea if he had won a medal at the Olympics.
But Kim insisted that it wasn't on his mind after his disappointing finish - and admitted he was "surprised" to be overwhelmed by his emotions after missing out on a medal.
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When asked if military service had triggered his tears at the finish, Kim replied: “Not at all. I wasn’t really thinking about that at all. I was just trying to get a medal for my country and not myself.
"I’ve never been really this emotional after a round. These emotions are surprising but I think it’s just all the hard work I’ve done this year to put myself in this position - those things are coming out. And just the things Scottie [Scheffler] said to me after the round really kind of came out and I’m just trying to hold it together.
“He’s a really good buddy of mine and understands what I’ve gone through. Just those things and a friend to say something like that after what he did [winning the gold], it means a lot.”
Rules in his native country state that he can steer clear of the military if he gains a medal at the Olympics or a gold at the Asian Games. His triumph has to occur while representing his country, so even winning a major on the PGA Tour would not be enough.
Kim does have two more opportunities to dodge his military stint in South Korea, which can last between 18 and 21 months. It is mandatory for all men over the age of 18 to serve in the army before they pass the cut-off of 28.
He can still win gold at the Asian Games in 2026 in Nagoya, while the next Olympics will be hosted in Los Angeles in 2028. Kim will still be young enough to compete in those tournaments, which may explain why he was not upset.
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