“We’ll know more in the future” - Tom Kim faces military service challenges as he prepares to defend his Shriners Children’s Open title

Defending champion Tom Kim is back at the Shriners Children's Open, but winning here won't be enough to avoid the military challenge he faces in South Korea.

South Korean law mandates that male citizens must serve in the military for 18 to 21 months once they turn 19. However, athletes can postpone their service if they are able to win medals in the Olympics or the Asian Games.

While fellow Korean players Si Woo Kim and Sung Jae Im were part of the Asian Games squad last month, Tom Kim couldn't make the team due to his lower ranking at the time of selection. South Korea won the gold, and these two golfers successfully delayed their military service.

However, the 21-year-old South Korean is not yet exempted and will need to earn a medal at next year's Olympics. On Tuesday, October 10, in the pre-event press conference ahead of the 2023 Shriners Children's Open, he was asked about this situation.

"We’ll know more in the future," said Kim, as per Golfweek.

Kim further explained:

"So obviously those medals help. I think it depends on which medal. As I’m aware, with them having achieving gold they have exemptions for the military. Asian Games looks like it is gold, but I think from the Olympics, from what I’m aware, a medal should take care of it."

Last year, Kim beat Patrick Cantlay and Matthew NeSmith by a three-stroke margin and became the youngest golfer to win twice on the PGA Tour since 1932. He also became the first golfer since Tiger Woods to claim two titles on the Tour before turning 21.

If Tom Kim wins again this year, he will become only the second player, following Jim Furyk, to defend the title in Las Vegas. According to oddsmakers, he is once again the tournament favorite.

The South Korean golfer said he isn't setting his expectations too high, such as aiming for a bogey-free performance throughout the week, something he accomplished here last year.

On this, he said:

"It’s so easy to set them so high because I didn’t make a single bogey, 24 birdies, and you kind of have a feeling where you need to do it again."

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How has Tom Kim performed in the 2022–23 season?

Here's a look at Tom Kim's performance in the 2022–23 PGA Tour season:

• Presidents Cup: P2
• Shriners Children's Open: 1
• Zozo Championship: T25
• The CJ Cup in South Carolina: T11
• Hero World Challenge: T10
• Sentry Tournament of Champions: T5
• Sony Open in Hawaii: CUT
• The American Express: T6
• WM Phoenix Open: T50
• The Genesis Invitational: T45
• Arnold Palmer Invitational: T34
• The Players Championship: T51
• World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play: T31
• Masters Tournament: T16
• RBC Heritage: CUT
• Zurich Classic of New Orleans: T7
• Wells Fargo Championship: T23
• AT&T Byron Nelson: T34
• PGA Championship: CUT
• The Memorial Tournament: CUT
• US Open: T8
• Travelers Championship: T38
• Rocket Mortgage Classic: CUT
• Genesis Scottish Open: T6
• The Open Championship: T2
• FedEx St. Jude Championship: T24
• BMW Championship: T10
• TOUR Championship **: T20