Rick Shiels has admitted that he was gripped by one storyline involving one PGA Tour player on the final day of the Olympic golf event, insisting that he is an ‘unbelievable’ talent.
Anyone who doubted whether golf could be a success at the Olympics has surely been silenced after what took place at Le Golf National last week, with Paris treated to one of the best tournaments of the year – which resulted in Scottie Scheffler winning the gold medal.
The event appeared to bring all kinds of emotions out of the world’s best players. Scheffler was moved on the podium, while many players were stunned by the crowds at Le Golf National.
One of those in Scheffler’s group on Sunday was Tom Kim, with the 22-year-old ultimately finishing eighth after a final round 68 – he missed out on a medal by four shots.
Kim apologised on social media after failing to win a medal, with the youngster arguably having more reason than most to want to get onto the podium. A medal would have seen Kim gain exemption from military service in South Korea.
Males in the country usually have to start their period of military service of around 18 months by the time they turn 28. So you could understand why Kim may have felt the pressure.
Rick Shiels says he felt so sorry for Tom Kim at the Olympics
Previously, the likes of Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim earned exemptions by winning gold at the Asian Games in 2023. So there is still time for Kim to ensure that he does not need to complete a period of military service.
And speaking on The Rick Shiels Golf Show, Shiels noted that he is desperate to see Kim earn that exemption.
“There was one big storyline that I couldn’t stop watching and I felt so, so, so bad for, Tom Kim. Because the story with Tom Kim, he’s from Korea and if he would have got a medal for the Republic of Korea, he isn’t required to do the two year military service able-bodied Korean males have to do,” he said.
“There’s a very, very, very small amount of people that are given special permission not to do the military service, and if you bring a medal to the Republic of Korea, albeit bronze, silver or gold, you are then exempt from that military service.
“You could tell he was really trying hard yesterday. He was playing with his really good pal Scottie Scheffler. Tom Kim ended up shooting a 68 yesterday to miss out on the medal places, by four shots in the end to be fair.
“It’s crazy, isn’t it, I don’t want to see Tom Kim disappear for two years, because he’s an unbelievable talent.”
Impossible to imagine the pressure
Kim looks to be a special prospect so it would not be a surprise to see him earn an exemption one way or another in the years to come. He has already won three PGA Tour titles with a second place finish in a major championship under his belt. He has an amazing career ahead of him.
It is impossible to imagine the kind of pressure he must have felt in Paris, not only to try and earn that exemption, but to also win a medal for his country.
Kim’s pride in his nation was abundantly clear when he stole the show at the 2022 Presidents Cup, really lighting the spark for the International team that weekend.
It would not be a shock at all if he manages to win a medal which earns him an exemption in the years to come.
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