Kim Joo-hyung was once spotlighted as one of the top golf prodigies in the world.

In 2022, he became the second-youngest player in PGA Tour history (at 20 years and 3 months) to secure two wins. In 2023, he set the record as the youngest player to claim three wins in 26 years since Tiger Woods (USA), emerging as a golf icon poised to succeed Woods.

However, Kim suffered a severe slump during the past season, tumbling down a spiral of setbacks.

He finished outside the top 10 in 25 out of 26 PGA Tour events he entered, and his world ranking dropped past the 100th spot.

It was an unbearable period for the proud Kim.

Having married last winter, the year 2026 was critically important for Kim.

He found himself in a precarious position where a continued slump could cost him even his PGA Tour card.

However, Kim signaled his resurrection by finishing alone in third place at the major U.S. Open in June—which he entered through qualifiers—and then capturing the Genesis Scottish Open last July, adding another victory a staggering 33 months after his win at the Shriners Children's Open in October 2023.

With his successful revival, another major hurdle awaited Kim: the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Kim had previously lacked ties to major international competitions like the Olympics and Asian Games that could resolve military service obligations.

Although Kim recorded the highest world ranking among South Korean male players in 2023 and had a shot at competing in the Hangzhou Asian Games, he failed to wear the national flag because eligibility was granted to players selected in 2022 before the tournament was postponed.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he started the first round tied for third, raising hopes for a medal, but he could not overcome the immense pressure of the Olympics and finished the tournament in eighth place.

After the match, Kim shed tears of disappointment.

Kim seized another opportunity through the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, and he did not let it slip away.

The journey was far from smooth.

Immediately following his schedule at the Presidents Cup—a team competition between the U.S. and the International Team held in Chicago, Illinois, on September 28—Kim headed to Japan, practiced locally the very next day, and played the first round of the Asian Games on the 30th at the East Course (par 70) of the Kasugai Country Club in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

At the time, he even remarked, "I've slept six hours over the past two days," adding, "I'm just going to try to hang in there."

Despite jet lag and extreme fatigue, Kim focused on the tournament with superhuman strength.

He finished the first round tied for seventh, two strokes behind the leader, climbed to fifth place in the second round, rose to the sole lead in the third round as he recovered his condition, and decisively distanced himself from the chasing pack in the final fourth round to claim the gold medal with a final score of 18-under-par 262.

By winning this tournament, Kim received a military service exemption, allowing him to continue his PGA Tour career on stable ground.

The year 2026 will remain the most brilliant year of Kim's athletic career.
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)