Current:Home > MySouth Korean golfers Sungjae Im & Si Woo Kim team for win, exemption from military service -Quantum Growth Learning
South Korean golfers Sungjae Im & Si Woo Kim team for win, exemption from military service
View
Date:2025-04-12 08:56:55
While the focus of the golf world this week was the Ryder Cup in Italy, something equally special was happening in Hangzhou, China, at the Asian Games.
South Korean golfers Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im helped their home country win the gold medal in golf. That’s a big deal for one reason: It makes the two PGA Tour pros — Im is ranked 27th in the world while Kim is No. 40 — exempt from serving the two-year mandatory military service that is required in Korea.
Teaming with amateurs Jang Yu-bin and Cho Woo-young, Im, 25, and Kim, 28, cruised to a 25-stroke win over Thailand for the team gold medal Sunday at the West Lake International Golf Course. It was the country’s first men’s golf title in 13 years.
“This has been the longest four days of my career,” Im told reporters. “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.”
All able-bodied males are obligated to serve between 18 and 21 months in the military once they turn 19. They can postpone the date of their service but without a significant cultural justification, like an Olympic medal, service is mandatory.
RYDER CUP UPDATES: Ryder Cup live scores, pairings, schedules and more.
Seung Yul-Noh and Sang-Moon Bae are two Korean golfers who won on the PGA Tour before their mandatory service obligation but haven’t been able to regain their form after taking two years away from competition.
Only an Olympic medal, or a gold medal at the Asian Games, is worthy of an exemption in the eyes of the South Korean government. Im and Kim failed to medal at the Olympics in Japan.
Im finished runner-up in the individual portion of the event, a shot back of China’s Taichi Kho, a Notre Dame alum who primarily plays on the Asian Tour. Kim was three shots behind Im, finishing fourth place.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Yankees' Anthony Rizzo fractures fingers in season's penultimate game
- Ryan Williams vs Jeremiah Smith: Does Alabama or Ohio State have nation's best freshman WR?
- 'Multiple' deaths reported after single-engine plane crashes in North Carolina
- Trump's 'stop
- Residents told to evacuate or take shelter after Georgia chemical fire
- Looking Back on Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk's Pinterest-Perfect Hamptons Wedding
- Adrien Brody reveals 'personal connection' to 3½-hour epic 'The Brutalist'
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- Trump lists his grievances in a Wisconsin speech intended to link Harris to illegal immigration
Ranking
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- Luis Arraez wins historic batting title, keeps Shohei Ohtani from winning Triple Crown
- It’s a ‘very difficult time’ for U.S. Jews as High Holy Days and Oct. 7 anniversary coincide
- A concert and 30 new homes mark Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday and long legacy of giving
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- Georgia power outage map: Thousands still without power days after Helene
- Key Senate race in Arizona could hinge on voters who back Trump and the Democratic candidate
- NFL Week 4 injury report: Live updates for active, inactive players for Sunday's games
Recommendation
'Most Whopper
A brush fire prompts evacuations in the Gila River Indian Community southwest of Phoenix
Week 4 fantasy football rankings: PPR, half-PPR and standard leagues
Tom Brady responds to Bucs QB Baker Mayfield's critical remarks: 'This wasn't daycare'
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
Montana man to be sentenced for cloning giant sheep to breed large sheep for captive trophy hunts
Goldie Hawn Reveals NSFW Secret to Long-Lasting Relationship With Kurt Russell
Residents told to evacuate or take shelter after Georgia chemical fire