So, Tom Kim, bless his perpetually enthusiastic heart, went and bagged himself a gold medal at the Asian Games. Turns out, this wasn't just about national pride or, you know, winning. It was apparently about dodging the South Korean military. Who knew the golf course could be a strategic draft-dodging maneuver?
Word on the street is this win is pretty darn significant. Not quite ‘Anthony Kim’s comeback’ seismic, or ‘Gary Woodland’s personal triumph’ tear-jerker, but definitely in the same ballpark. Winning is hard enough. Winning when you know the alternative is eighteen months of drills and whatever questionable delights emerge from the mess hall? That’s pressure. The kind that makes you double-check you didn’t accidentally pack your lucky ball marker in your combat boots.
Some folks are already whispering that Kim, at 24, might be at his absolute zenith. Others reckon he’s got plenty left in the tank, assuming he stops donating strokes on the green like it’s a charitable hobby. His iron play, apparently, is the stuff of legends. His putting? Well, it’s a work in progress. It’s the classic golfer’s torment: you’re brilliant at everything except the part where you actually coax the ball into the hole.
Still, his recent form has been pretty solid. Three wins a couple of years back, a respectable showing at the Presidents Cup last week, and now this. He’s proving he can hang with the big dogs, but to break into that really elite club – the top 10 in the world – he might need to either hit it a tad farther or learn to play faster. Golf’s attention span these days is shorter than a squirrel’s memory when a nut is involved.
It’s a good thing for Kim, and probably for anyone who enjoys watching him play, that he got this gold. Especially when you glance over at his teammate, S.H. Kim. At 28, his window for military deferral via an Asian Games gold has apparently slammed shut. Ouch. Makes you wonder if the Korean government values a major championship win as much as they do this particular sporting event. My guess? Not a chance.