Australian star Min Woo Lee has made an interesting prediction about who could win the Olympic gold at Le Golf National this weekend.
Lee fought back brilliantly on Friday, carding a stunning six-under 65 to return to under par for the tournament.
The Aussie will ultimately rue his first round at Le Golf National, and Lee didn’t hold back when assessing his opening 18 holes at the 2018 Ryder Cup venue.
With the 26-year-old ten shots back of the leaders at the halfway stage, a podium finish is hard to envisage.
Min Woo Lee could see Tom Kim winning crucial Olympic medal
Despite being out of contention, Lee has still had his say on the top of the leaderboard. Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood and Hideki Matsuyama share the lead. Jon Rahm also posted one of the red-hot Friday rounds and sits two back.
Tom Kim is currently at eight under, three shots back of the lead, and Lee hopes the 22-year-old triumphs in Paris for a variety of reasons.
“Yeah, I mean, a couple of my other friends were in the Olympics the last two years, last couple times, and they have — it seems likes they have a lot more pressure than what I have and what other people have because it impacts their lives quite hard,” said Lee.
The Aussie, of course, is referring to South Korea’s military service, which could impact Kim if he fails to succeed in Paris.
“So we’ve obviously seen the other South Koreans make it up to the ranks and kind of go backwards after going in the military,” he added.
“I mean, it’s a tough one. Obviously, you play for your flag and your country, and it’s mandatory. But yeah, I mean, hopefully, he gets it done. I don’t know, it’s a tough one. I mean, obviously, you feel like you need to do it for your country. He’s definitely good enough to get a Gold Medal. He’s a cracker of a golfer.”
Why Tom Kim needs to win an Olympic medal
For those who aren’t aware of South Korea’s military service policy, any able-bodied men who originate from the country are expected to serve 21 months of military service before they turn 35 and must begin the service by the time they turn 26.
Ben An and Kim will both be impacted unless they land an Olympic medal; any South Korean who earns an Olympic medal [or Asian Games gold medal] is exempt from serving.
Fortunately for Kim, he has six years to begin his service. Therefore, if he can’t make the podium in Paris, the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will present the PGA Tour sensation with another opportunity for exemption.
But, given his position after two days of play at Le Golf National, this could be his best chance to avoid taking a potentially unwanted career break.
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