PGA Tour Korean Stars Exempt From Mandatory Military Service
Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim represented their country in the Asian Games in China where South Korea won gold in the team golf event
Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim helped South Korea land gold at the Asian Games and their heroics earned them the welcome bonus of military exemptions from national service.
This year was the first time professionals were eligible to represent their countries in the Asian Games. South Korea selected two amateurs and Im and Kim, who were the highest-ranked men in the Official World Golf Ranking at the time the team was picked.
The selections paid off as South Korea topped the leaderboard by a whopping 25 shots to claim gold, despite the eyes of much of the golfing world being on the Ryder Cup. And now a relieved Im , ranked 27th in the world, knows his mandatory 21-month national service will be reduced to a few weeks of basic training instead.
Im , 25, reflected: “I think I should be able to stay focused even more on the PGA Tour. I feel like I can have a really long and successful run there. I think this will help me so much mentally.”
Im finished runner-up in the individual portion of the event with Kim three shots behind in fourth place. The two Korean amateurs – Yubin Jang and Wooyoung Cho – came in fifth and T-6 in a dominant performance at West Lake International Golf Course in Hangzhou in China.
A delighted Im added: “This has been the longest four days of my career. Every hole felt so important, and I knew every shot counted for our team event. I wanted to fight for every shot and do the best I could until the finish.”
PGA Championship winner YE Yang and eight-time PGA Tour winner KJ Choi both completed their military service in their 20s before their golf careers took off but Sangmoon Bae is an example of how it could disrupt a promising golf career.
Get the top Black Friday deals right in your inbox: Sign up now!
The hottest deals and product recommendations during deals season straight to your inbox plus all the best game-changing tips, in-depth features and the latest news and insights around the game.
Bae had won twice on the PGA Tour when he had to do his military service in 2015 aged 29 – and he’s never quite found his form again.
Im and Kim missed the chance to avoid military service when they failed to grab a medal of any colour at the last Olympics in Tokyo. Unlike the Olympics, where any medal will do, it has to be gold at the Asian Games. Korean males have to complete their military service by their mid-30s, so both 25-year-old Im and 29-year-old Kim were starting to run out of chances to claim a medal - especially with Tom Kim's emergence likely making it harder to guarantee a spot on the team.
James Nursey is a freelance contributor to Golf Monthly after spending over 20 years as a sports reporter in newspapers. During a 17-year career with the Daily Mirror, he covered mainly football but reported from The Open annually and also covered a Ryder Cup and three US Opens. He counts a pre-tournament exclusive with Justin Rose at Merion in 2013 as one of his most memorable as the Englishman went on to win his first Major and later repeated much of the interview in his winner’s speech. Now, after choosing to leave full-time work in newspapers, James, who is a keen single-figure player, is writing about golf more. His favourite track is the Old Course after attending St Andrews University but has since played mainly at Edgbaston, where he is on the honours board. He is an active member of the Association of Golf Writers and Press Golfing Society but his favourite round is playing the game with his children. James is currently playing: Driver: Ping G400 3 wood: Ping i20 Hybrid: Ping i20 Irons: Ping i500 4-SW Wedges: Ping Glide forged 50, 56 Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour Ball: Titleist ProVI
-
Arron Oberholser Facts: 15 Things To Know About The PGA Tour-Winning Golf Channel Broadcaster
Arron Oberholser left his PGA Tour career behind to take up life as a Golf Channel broadcaster in 2013 – here are 15 things to know about him
By Mike Hall Published
-
LPGA Tour Announces 2025 Schedule
The 2025 LPGA Tour season will have two new events including a visit to Mexico, while the biennial International Crown returns
By Mike Hall Published
-
Odyssey Golf And YouTube Stars Good Good Collaborate With New Putters
The YouTube group signed a deal with Callaway at the start of 2023 and will release their second limited-edition product together
By Ben Fleming Published
-
Seven-Handicap YouTube Star Defies Odds To Complete Hole-In-One Challenge
YouTube star and CEO of gaming organisation 100 Thieves 'Nadeshot' achieved the feat in little over an hour having rented out a course to put his skills to the test
By Ben Fleming Published
-
Who Are The No Laying Up Members?
Get to know the characters behind the hugely successful golf content creation company
By Ben Fleming Published
-
ESPN Agrees Deal To Broadcast First Season Of TGL
The new goal league, launched by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, is due to start in January 2024
By Ben Fleming Published
-
Robert MacIntyre Hints At PGA Tour Switch After Ryder Cup Success
The Scotsman admitted that he may have to make the move to America if he's to achieve all of his goals within the game
By Ben Fleming Published
-
'Relax Rory' - Couples Backs LaCava And Reveals What Caddie Said To McIlroy
Fred Couples has revealed what Joe LaCava said to Rory McIlroy at the Ryder Cup and insists his former caddie did nothing wrong
By Paul Higham Published
-
Honorary European Ryan Fox 'Chuffed' By Europe's Ryder Cup Victory
The New Zealander admitted he was no neutral observer and was pulling for Luke Donald's side last week at Marco Simone
By Ben Fleming Published
-
Max Homa Commits To Debut Appearance In DP World Tour Event
The American will tee it up in the iconic tournament for the first time and will be joined in the field by compatriot Justin Thomas
By Ben Fleming Published