Tour Confidential: Tom Kim’s career-changing win and Presidents Cup takeaways

Tom Kim won the individual golf gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, allowing him to avoid South Korea’s mandatory 18-to-21-month military service. GOLF editors discussed the significance of the 24-year-old’s victory, his future, the lessons from the recent Presidents Cup and LIV Golf’s uncertain direction.

Is Tom Kim’s win among the biggest of 2026?

James Colgan, news and features editor: “It’s not at the Anthony Kim or Gary Woodland level, but I think it’s in that neighborhood. Winning is probably the hardest thing to do in golf. To win when the weight of a career-altering inevitability hangs over you if you don’t win? That’s extremely impressive.”

Josh Schrock, associate news editor: “Given the potential career-altering stakes, I’d say this win is potentially the biggest of the year. Anthony Kim and Woodland’s wins were great stories in their own right, but if Anthony Kim had lost LIV Adelaide, his future would not have been greatly affected beyond his bank account. The pressure Tom Kim must have felt, knowing how military service affected Sangmoon Bae and others, was undoubtedly immense. And he got it done.”

Alan Bastable, executive editor: “It was dramatic, but if Kim hadn’t won, he would still have had two more chances: the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 and the next Asian Games in Doha in 2030. That was not the case for his South Korean teammate S.H. Kim, who is 28. His time is up. Tough stuff. It’s interesting how much importance the Korean government places on those two events; you might think a major-championship win would rank as highly in terms of national pride.”

What is Tom Kim’s ceiling?

Kim had three PGA Tour wins from 2022 through 2023, then did not win again until this year’s Genesis Scottish Open. He was one of the best players at last week’s Presidents Cup, and his latest win will certainly prolong his professional career.

Colgan said Kim may be approaching his ceiling: “He’s a player on the rise who can hang with some of the best in the world. He’ll need to elevate another notch — either in his ball-striking or his distance — to reach the territory of a top-10 player in the world. He’ll also need to learn to play faster to earn the broader sport’s adoration. But he’s only 24, so he still has room to grow.”

Schrock noted that Kim’s early breakthrough can obscure his age: “He was so young when he burst onto the scene that it’s easy to forget he’s still only 24 and is probably arriving at his peak years. Kim admitted he had to eat some ‘humble pie’ over the last two years, but believes his game and mindset are better for it. His putting has improved, and it’s fair to envision a big year for him in 2027.”

Bastable identified putting as the key area: “It’s the putting. Kim’s iron play has always been elite, but when he gets to the green, he struggles to hole putts. In his last few starts, he has largely gained strokes on the greens, which historically has not been the case for him. Even this season, despite a strong finishing kick, he finished only 83rd in Strokes Gained: Putting. To reach the next level, he needs to get better with the flatstick. If only he could bottle his Presidents Cup play and bring that excellence and energy to every PGA Tour stop.”

What did Jim Furyk learn at Medinah?

A week after the United States narrowly defeated the International team in the Presidents Cup, the GOLF editors discussed what 2027 Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk can take into next year’s event in Ireland.

Colgan: “If he really wants Adare Manor to be competitive, he needs to get really, really, REALLY serious about creating a blueprint to improve the team’s performance in foursomes.”

Schrock: “I hope he learned that while the U.S. team remains very good in singles, it still has a lot of work to do in team golf, especially in foursomes. A Sunday singles charge against the Internationals should not paper over the major issue that has plagued the Americans for several competitions in a row.”

Bastable: “That JK (Jackson Koivun) might soon be the U.S.’s new JT (Justin Thomas).”

What did Luke Donald see?

Colgan said European captain Luke Donald should have seen that Europe’s advantage in foursomes — the factor that has helped the Europeans win two straight Cups under his leadership — remains substantial.

Schrock put it more bluntly: “He still has the upper hand on a talented American team that does not know what to do in foursomes, where the Europeans bludgeon them.”

Bastable added sarcastically: “I’m quite sure Donald isn’t too worried about what the Americans are doing; he has far weightier matters — like shampoo brands and thread counts — to sort out. Donald and Furyk will address the media on Tuesday. Maybe we’ll get some insight into Luke’s Adare Manor planning then.”

How damaging would Sergio Garcia’s departure be for LIV Golf?

In a court filing last week, representatives for Sergio Garcia asked for clarity on the status of his existing LIV contract amid the league’s bankruptcy. Garcia wants to know whether the contract was terminated as part of the bankruptcy; if not, he wants court authority to terminate it himself.

Colgan said any professional golfer leaving LIV would be a blow at this point, but questioned whether Garcia’s departure would be uniquely damaging.

Schrock said: “LIV can’t really afford to lose any players, especially those with high name recognition, regardless of age. I think it signals where things are probably headed. But if LIV 2.0 doesn’t get off the ground, it won’t be because the Fireballs’ captain left.”

Bastable said Garcia still moves the needle, if not always for the right reasons, and still has plenty of game: “LIV would not want to lose him. Then again, there are much bigger fish on the LIV hook, and it sounds like at least a couple of them — looking at you, Joaco — might be making big decisions within the next couple of weeks.”

Based on the GOLF article and representing the views of its editors.