“Different kind of pressure”; “so over blown” – Fans react as talks of Tom Kim’s possible mandatory military service become hot topic at Olympics

Tom Kim at the 2024 Olympics (Image via Getty)
Tom Kim at the 2024 Olympics (Image via Getty)
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Tom Kim is not far behind the lead at the 2024 Olympics after the third round. A gold medal here will ensure that the mandatory military service gets delayed successfully.

On Saturday, August 3, Kim carded a 2-under 69 with the help of four birdies during the third day at Le Golf National. He also made two bogeys in the third round to aggregate at 10-under after 54 holes.

South Korea has a conscription rule, which means all the countrymen aged 18 and 35 are asked to serve in the military for 18–21 months. While both Kim and Ben An haven’t done military service as of now, the latter has delayed it until 2035.

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Fans online had interesting reactions to the scenario. While many felt it was a huge pressure, some stated that it was quite overblown. Here’s a look at some reactions:

“Different kind of pressure,” one fan wrote.
“This is so over blown for Tom Kim. He has more than a decade to get his exemption and the Olympics aren’t the only my way to get it,” another fan posted.
“This is crazy…. If you are a competitor and a friend of Tom Kim, in a situation where you are up 1 and in a bronze medal position, do you push a putt on purpose to keep you friend from being forced to serve in the military…. Crazy,” this fan commented.
“Ben An has been playing forever—how has he not already reached the age of conscription?!?” another fan questioned.
“GIVE TOM KIM A MEDAL REGARDLESS!!!!” one fan suggested.
“Didn’t know this but Tom seemed to miss some putts I thought he would make, understandable!! Rooting for both of them,” one user wrote.
When will Tom Kim tee off at the 2024 Olympics golf men’s event, Round 4?
Kim is paired with his best friend Scottie Scheffler and Belgium’s Thomas Detry for the final round of the Olympic golf men’s event. The trio will take off on Sunday, August 4, at 6:17 am ET.

The fourth round of the Paris Olympics 2024 golf men’s event will begin on Sunday at 3:00 am ET with Camilo Villegas and Matthieu Pavon being the first duo to tee off.

Following the third round, Kim, Scheffler, Detry, and Rory McIlroy are tied at 10-under, four strokes behind the leaders Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele.

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Edited by Shobhit Kukreti