South Korea made a strong start to the men’s golf competition at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, with all three of its golfers finishing inside the top 10 after the opening round on Wednesday.
Mun Do-yeop produced the best score for South Korea, shooting a bogey-free four-under-par 66 at Kasugai Country Club. His score put him in a share of third place, just one shot behind the two players leading the individual competition.
Japan’s Kazuki Higa and Taiwan’s Wang Wei-hsuan both shot five-under-par 65 to share the lead after the first round.
Tom Kim, also known as Kim Joo-hyung, carded a three-under-par 67 and finished in a share of seventh place. His performance was notable because he had only recently competed in the Presidents Cup in the United States before travelling to Japan for the Asian Games.
Tom Kim said he had slept only about six hours in the previous 48 hours because of the long journey and time difference. Despite the difficult schedule, he managed to record five birdies and two bogeys.
South Korea’s third golfer, Kim Seong-hyeon, shot two-under-par 68 to finish in a share of ninth place. His round included an eagle, three birdies and three bogeys.
The three South Korean golfers are also competing for a team medal. The team competition is based on the combined scores of the two best players from each country each day.
After the opening round, Japan leads the men’s team competition at nine-under-par. South Korea and China are tied for second at seven-under-par, two shots behind Japan.
The Asian Games golf competition carries extra importance for the two younger South Korean players, Tom Kim and S.H. Kim. A gold medal in the individual or team competition would qualify them for an exemption from South Korea’s compulsory military service.
S.H. Kim said the possibility of avoiding military service was on his mind because he would otherwise face about two years of service. He said winning team gold would be particularly important to him.
Mun Do-yeop, the third South Korean player, has already completed his military service and therefore does not need the exemption. However, he said he wants to help his teammates and the country win the team gold medal.
The men’s competition consists of 72 holes over four rounds, with individual and team medals decided from the combined results.
The second round is scheduled for Thursday at Kasugai Country Club. South Korea will be looking to close the two-shot gap on Japan while its three players continue their challenge for individual medals.
The opening round has therefore given South Korea a good position in both the individual and team competitions, with three more rounds remaining.
