By Ian Ransom
NAGOYA, Japan, Oct 3 (Reuters) – South Korean golfer Tom Kim clinched the Asian Games gold, and an exemption from military service, on Saturday while combining with compatriots Mun Do-yeob and Kim Seong-hyeon for the team silver behind China.
Kim, a four-times winner on the U.S. PGA Tour, shot a final round 64 for an 18-under total of 262 to finish three strokes clear of home favourite Kazuki Higa, China’s Ding Wenyi and Thai Sadom Kaewkanjana at the Kasugai Country Club.
With no prizemoney on offer, the Asian Games is generally overlooked by the continent’s top players but there was plenty at stake for Kim.
South Korea offers military exemptions to athletes who win Asian Games gold or medals of any colour at the Olympics.
Able-bodied South Korean men usually serve at least 18 months as part of efforts to maintain a deterrent against North Korea.
Mun, who already completed his military service, had spoken of helping Kim earn an exemption with the team gold.
“I want to play good, so we make our team get a gold medal … and to make sure they don’t have to go to the military,” Mun said after the opening round.
As it was, Kim did it all himself after shrugging off jetlag following a flight from the U.S. where he was the International team’s stand-out performer at the Presidents Cup.
After he tapped in for par on the final hole, teammates and South Korean officials mobbed him at the green and poured water all over him.
Pranavi Urs earlier became India’s first individual champion in the women’s event, three years after compatriot Aditi Ashok gave up a seven-shot lead to lose the gold on a final day meltdown at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Urs shrugged off a triple-bogey on the third hole and shot an even-par 70 for a 15-under total of 265 to hold off China’s hard-charging major-winner Yin Ruoning and Singapore’s Shannon Tan by a stroke.
“I was like, it’s fine,” she said of the triple-bogey.
“I remembered what Rory (McIlroy) did the first time he won the Masters. He started with a triple (bogey), I think, or a double. And I was like, if he can go and win the Masters, so can you win the Asian Games.”
With the golf competition broadcast in India, Urs took congratulatory texts from former cricket internationals and said her brother had bragged about winning his club championship in Mysore the day before.
“He just got his trophy yesterday … He said ‘I’ve won, so it’s time you start winning now.’”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutheford)
