Tom Kim held his nerve to claim gold at the Asian Games and secure an exemption from South Korea's mandatory military service.
Kim took a narrow one-shot lead into the final round in Japan but seldom looked like relinquishing it, firing five birdies and an eagle on his way to a 64 and a three-shot win.
Able-bodied South Korean males are usually required to perform 18 to 21 months of military service before the age of 28, though some athletes can earn exempt status with success in major events. The government rewards Asian Games gold medals and Olympic medals of any colour with an exemption bar basic training, which lasts less than a month.
Kim had entered the final round at the Paris Olympics in medal-winning position but faded from contention to finish eighth.
His participation at the Asian Games had come after dashing away from the Presidents Cup last Sunday after beating Wyndham Clark in the Sunday singles.
The 24-year-old has enjoyed a strong 2026, finishing third at the US Open and claiming the Scottish Open in July.
Kim finished three strokes clear of Japan's Kazuki Higa, China's Ding Wenyi and Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand. In the team event, Ding helped China to a narrow success over South Korea, meaning SH Kim missed out on the exemption earned by his teammate.