In the 2022 Presidents Cup, Si Woo Kim was a great watch. Shedding his usual stoic personality, he emerged fiery and full of great golf. He defeated Justin Thomas on Sunday and currently has a 3-4 record in the Presidents Cup. Picked by Captain Mike Weir, he will be a great addition to the International Team.

In a recent interview, he expressed his thoughts on the Cup, saying, “When I was younger I was always watching the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup. Looks fun to me.” It’s clear that he enjoys playing in the team format, and his expressive behavior shows that he draws energy from the crowd, as seen from his emotive fist-pump celebrations. He also hopes to transmit his energy to pump up his teammates. “The most important thing is to get the passion. I want to give my energy to all the team players.”

He also made his intentions clear for the International Team, stating, “I really enjoyed the last two Presidents Cups. Hopefully we can win this year.” Doing so will be difficult, as Team International’s record does not inspire confidence. However, their recent performances will be seen as a silver lining. 2019, especially, was a better year, as the Internationals lost by only two points. Si Woo Kim was on the team for the first time that year.

Si Woo Kim is exempt from military service due to his win in the Asian Games in 2023. His compatriot Tom Kim will be playing in his second Presidents Cup amidst his concerns about military conscription in the South Korean Army. But since he is only 22 years old, he still has time to gain an exemption by winning an international medal before he turns 28. The 3-time PGA Tour winner qualified on points at the tail end of a very good season to be on the International team. But what are his chances of avoiding mandatory military duty in the forthcoming years?

Tom Kim and the Army

Tom Kim was visibly devastated after bogeying the 18th hole and missing out on an Olympic medal. The medal, apart from being a glorious achievement, would have meant that Kim would not have to serve in the Korean military. However, Kim does not feel the need to back out of his national duty and expressed that this is the reality and way of life in South Korea. “We have our service and it is what it is.”

He also said that this wasn’t the reason he was emotional after his round and that Scottie Scheffler had something to do with it. “Just the things Scottie [Scheffler] said to me after the round really kind of came out.” He will have opportunities in the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Olympics to win a medal and be exempted from military service.