Kasugai, Aichi, Japan: For Tom Kim Joo-hyung it was mission accomplished. Living upto his billing as tournament favourite, Korean golf’s poster boy fired a classy closing six-under-par 64 to claim the individual men’s golfing gold medal at the 20th Asian Games.

In so doing, the PGA Tour star, 32nd in the Official World Golf Ranking, reaped the richest of rewards – exemption from national service.

For the fourth day in succession, Kim improved his score by one shot, following earlier rounds of 67, 66 and 65 at the Kasugai Country Club’s East Course in Aichi Prefecture.

One stroke clear at the top heading into the final round, Kim cruised through the front nine in four-under 31. He added another birdie at 11 and put the contest beyond doubt with an eagle at the par-five 13th, the second day in a row he’d made three there.

With the finishing line in sight, the 24-year-old negotiated the closing five holes conservatively. He could even afford the luxury of a bogey at the par-four 17th, the hardest hole on the course.

Kim, who was the standout player in a losing cause for The International Team against the United States at last week’s President’s Cup in Chicago, is just the third Korean to win the individual Asiad golfing gold after Kim Kyung-tae (Doha, 2006) and Kim Meen-whee (Guangzhou, 2010).

The only regret for Kim was that the Korean team that also included Mun Do-yeob and Kim Seong-hyeon had to settle for the silver medal in the team event, finishing two shots behind China for whom Ding Wenyi fired a 64 and Jin Zihao a 66.

In the event in which the best two daily scores in each three-man team are counted, Sampson Zheng Yunhe’s 73 was not needed.

It was only China’s second men’s team medal – and first gold – at the Asian Games, having finished second in Indonesia in 2018. The team bronze went to hosts Japan (Kazuki Higa, Keita Nakajima and Taishi Moto) on 537 – one shot ahead of Thailand and Chinese Taipei.

They were followed by India (542), Hong Kong China (545), Singapore (552), the Philippines (553), Indonesia (554), Vietnam (557) and Bangladesh (563).

To the delight of the home fans, Higa captured the individual silver medal when he rolled home a 15-foot birdie putt at the fourth hole of a sudden-death play-off with Ding and Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, who soared into contention with a second successive 63.

Extra time was required after the trio tied for second in the individual standings on 15-under 265 – three strokes behind Kim.

All three players parred the par-four 18th at the first three times of asking. Following Higa’s birdie, Ding and Sadom continued the play-off with the individual bronze medal on the line.

Playing the 18th for the fifth time in rapidly fading light, it was Sadom who prevailed, converting a five-footer for birdie after Ding’s attempt at a three from slightly further failed to drop. 

It was a fittingly dramatic climax to an engrossing golfing week.