"An Eagle on the 13th Secured His Military-Service Exemption": Kim Joo Hyoung Breaks Korea's 16-Year Golf Gold Drought and Secures a Long PGA Tour Career [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] Kim Joo Hyoung, South Korea's leading men's golfer, rose to the top of Asia and earned the military-service benefit that had been his biggest remaining hurdle. It was a landmark individual gold medal in Asian Games golf, 16 years in the making.
In the fourth and final round of the men's individual golf event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held on the par-70 East Course of Kasugai Country Club in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 3rd, Kim Joo Hyoung shot a 6-under-par 64 with one eagle, five birdies and one bogey.
With a final score of 18 under par, or 262 strokes, Kim Joo Hyoung finished three strokes clear of the group tied for second and stood atop the podium. It was the first time a South Korean men's golfer had won the individual event at the Asian Games since Kim Meen-whee at the 2010 Guangzhou Games, 16 years ago. The gold medal also qualifies Kim Joo Hyoung for a military-service exemption, giving him an ideal foundation for a stable, uninterrupted career on the PGA Tour.

Kim Joo Hyoung entered the final round with a precarious one-stroke lead over the group tied for second after three rounds, but he remained composed under the intense pressure of the championship group. He opened with a birdie on the par-4 second hole, then cut strokes with birdies on the par-3 fourth, par-4 sixth and par-5 eighth. On the fourth hole, his tee shot flew over the green, but he produced a brilliant chip-in birdie. Although he missed a 1.5-meter birdie putt on the par-4 ninth, his composure never wavered.
The decisive moment came on the par-5 13th hole. After placing his second shot within one meter of the hole, Kim Joo Hyoung calmly sank the eagle putt and clenched his fist. The shot instantly stretched his lead over the group tied for second to four strokes.
Kim Joo Hyoung then focused on closing out the victory with steady play. On the par-4 16th, his second shot landed perilously close to the edge of a lake, but he saved par. On the par-4 17th, his tee shot ended up behind a tree, so he safely played the ball back to the fairway and limited the damage to a bogey. Carrying a three-stroke lead into the final par-4 18th, he safely made par and finally erupted in celebration.


Meanwhile, in the team event, which combines the scores of each nation's top two performers in every round, South Korea posted a final total of 26 under par, or 534 strokes, to win the silver medal, finishing just two strokes behind China, which recorded 28 under par, or 532 strokes.
Mun Do-yeob, the oldest member of the team who had already completed his military service, tied for eighth in the individual event with a final score of 8 under par, or 272 strokes. Sunghyun Kim tied for 24th at 1 over par, or 281 strokes, as he and Kim Joo Hyoung combined to secure a valuable team silver medal.
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