DALLAS — Tom Kim is playing for more than a gold medal in the Olympic golf competition.
The 22-year-old Dallas resident, who was born in South Korea and is representing his home country at the Paris Games, shot a 5-under 67 in the first round Thursday at Le Golf National.
Kim's bogey-free round, which included four birdies on the front nine, put him in a tie for third and three shots behind Japan's Hideki Matsuyama.
That's not a bad spot to be for a run at the podium over the next three days, or even a gold medal. But it would mean more than just gold for Kim.
As a South Korean citizen, he still has to fulfill his nearly-two-year military service in his home country. Korean law requires most able-bodied men to serve 18-21 months of military service, as the AP reported last year, when BTS pop stars RM and V had to begin their duties.
There are a few exceptions to the law and ways to at least delay service, one of the biggest being: Winning a gold medal.
Yes, South Korea does offer an exemption to the required military service for athletes who take home a gold medal at the Olympics. The exemption has also been applied to athletes who win gold at the Asian Games.
Pro golfers Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim earned an exemption through the Asian Games last year, after they helped South Korea win a team gold medal at the event. Tom Kim didn't compete in the Asian Games, which saw Im and Si Woo Kim pair with amateurs Yu Bin Jang and Woo Young Cho for a 25-stroke win in the team competition.
The win allowed Im and Si Woo Kim to continue on their PGA Tour careers without having to plan for a nearly-two-year absence.
Tom Kim, one of the up-and-coming stars on Tour, could do the same with a gold medal this weekend.
But he says he's not focused on that.
“I think the easiest answer for us is we're here to play good this week. We are not focused on [the mandatory military service],” Kim told NBC Sports. “We are here to represent our country and, to be honest, I want me and Ben to be standing in that stadium not for the exemption but for our country. That's the most important part. That's the pride of being a South Korean. We have our services, and it is what it is. We are going to go throughout and we are going to play our best, and I really hope he and I are standing on that podium.”
