Tom Kim posts emotional statement after failing to win Olympic medal to avoid military service

Tom Kim was representing South Korea in the Olympic men’s golf event in Paris, and fell short of winning a medal for his country following the final round on Sunday

Tom Kim missed out on a medal (Image: Getty Images)

Kim was representing South Korea in the men’s golf event at Le Golf in the French capital alongside An Byeong-hun. Both will be required to conduct 21 months of military service before turning 35, but winning an Olympic medal would allow them to avoid the national requirement.

Kim was hoping he could earn his exemption on Sunday, having put himself in a strong position to chase down one of the three medals on offer following the final round.

Sadly for the PGA Tour star he ended falling four shots short of Hideki Matsuyama in fourth, after finishing eighth at 13-under-par. In the aftermath, Kim was seen shedding a tear whilst signing for his card alongside eventual champion – and close friend – Scottie Scheffler.

He later took to Instagram to have his say on his Olympic debut. “Hello, I’m Kim Joo Hyung, a golfer in Korea. Not sure where to speak from,” he wrote. “First of all. I really want to thank my loving Father God who always want to give glory to you when I succeed and when I fail in life.

“Thank you so much for always teaching me to be humble as a person and a golfer, guiding me on the right path and being my biggest strength in difficult situations. The second. Until now, there are no Korean golfers who have Olympic games every month, so this time, my Korean players ate hard and ran with the burden…

“But I feel so sorry and more responsible for not doing that. To all the Korean fans who cheered me on the field as well as in Korea, I am very sorry that I did not get the desired result and I will try harder.. Thank you.” Kim also paid tribute to Scheffler in his statement, adding: “Huge shout out to @scottie.scheffler man this guy never fails to impress me.

“I cherish our moments but this one was very special. Despite what he had done, what you said to me after our round meant everything to me. Happy for you and your team. Congrats.” It is of course not all lost for Kim, who is aged just 22, having enjoyed a remarkable rise in recent years.

He will no doubt be hoping he can qualify and make his mark at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, when the golf event heads to Riviera Country Club. Kim is also able to earn military service exemption via the Asian Games too, as did his fellow Tour stars Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim who won gold in the men’s golf event in 2023.