▲ South Korea's Kim Joo-hyung is putting on the 18th hole during the first round of the men's golf tournament at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the East Course of the Kasugai Country Club in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on September 30. (Photo: Yonhap News)
South Korean golfer Kim Joo-hyung has surged to the top of the leaderboard alone in the third round of the men's golf competition at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, displaying a formidable late-game charge.
Kim shot 5-under-par 65 with one eagle, five birdies, and two bogeys in the third round of the tournament held at the East Course (par 70) of the Kasugai Country Club in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, today.
With a 3-round total of 12-under-par 198, he claimed the top spot on the leaderboard, edging out Japan's Kazuki Higa and Chinese Taipei's Wang Wei-hsuan (both at 11-under-par 199) by a single stroke.
If Kim wins the gold medal in the final round of the tournament to be held tomorrow, he will receive military service exemptions, laying the groundwork for a stable career on the PGA Tour.
Having traveled straight to Japan following the Presidents Cup—a team competition between the U.S. and International teams—last week, Kim entered the tournament dealing with jet lag and sleep deprivation.
He shot 3-under-par in the first round to tie for 7th, and shaved off four strokes in the second round to jump to a tie for 5th with a mid-total of 7-under-par 133.
Today, having shaken off a degree of fatigue, he trimmed another five strokes to seize sole possession of first place.
He grabbed his first birdie on the 2nd hole (par 4) and recorded a bogey on the 6th hole (par 4).
He then picked up a birdie on the 8th hole (par 5) to finish the front nine at 1-under.
Kim showed a fierce closing spurt on the back nine.
He reeled off consecutive birdies on the 10th hole (par 4) and 11th hole (par 4), and although he bogeyed the 12th hole (par 3), he instantly bounced back with a shot eagle on the 13th hole (par 5).
After notching a birdie on the 16th hole (par 4), he par-saved the remaining holes to wrap up his round.
Moon Do-yeop, competing alongside him, shot 1-under-par 69 with five birdies and four bogeys today, tying for 5th place with a 3-round total of 8-under-par 202.
Kim Seong-hyun recorded 1-under-par 69 with six birdies, three bogeys, and one double bogey, placing in a tie for 14th with a 3-round total of 2-under-par 208.
Spearheaded by Kim Joo-hyung's stellar performance, the national team also leaped from 3rd place yesterday to sole possession of 1st in the men's team standings.
The team event determines rankings by combining the scores of the two players with the best individual scores for each round.
South Korea follows at 20-under-par 400, with Japan at 19-under-par 401, and China and Chinese Taipei trailing at 18-under-par 402.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.