“Fantastic Eagle” Kim Ju-hyung Takes Sole Lead in Round 3, Also Tops Team Event: “Double Crown in Sight”... 18-Year-Old Yang Yun-seo Ranks 5th [Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ju-hyung (24, Nike Golf) surged to the sole lead in the third round of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, heightening expectations for a double crown.

In the third round of the tournament held on the 2nd at the East Course (par 70) of Kasugai Country Club in Kasugai City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Kim Ju-hyung recorded five birdies, one eagle, and two bogeys for a total of 5-under-par 65.

With an intermediate total of 12-under-par 198, Kim Ju-hyung finished the third round in sole first place, edging out Wang Wei-shuan (Chinese Taipei) and Higashi Kazuki (Japan), who were tied for second at 11-under-par 199, by one stroke.

Kim Ju-hyung, who is active on the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour, has been in the spotlight as a prodigious golfer expected to follow in the footsteps of “Golf Emperor” Tiger Woods (USA), having shown his talent at a young age. Although he experienced ups and downs last year, he climbed back to the top for the first time in two years and nine months at the Scottish Open in July, allowing him to prepare for the Asian Games stage on a high note.

Three years ago, ahead of the Hangzhou Games, he won twice on the PGA Tour and rose to superstar status. However, because the tournament was postponed by one year, unlike other sports that newly selected their national teams, the Korea Golf Association decided to maintain its previous roster, leaving Kim Ju-hyung to watch his seniors win the team event via television.

To continue a successful career abroad, resolving his military service obligation is a top priority. Winning this tournament would grant him an exemption from military service, making it a very important competition for Kim Ju-hyung. Given that Kim Si-woo (31) and Lim Seong-jae (28, both CJ) have continued their consistent careers on the PGA Tour after winning team gold medals, expectations are now focused on Kim Ju-hyung.

Kim Ju-hyung started in a tie for seventh place with 3-under-par after recording five birdies and two bogeys in the first round. He jumped to a tie for fifth place by cutting four strokes in the second round with five birdies and one bogey, then surged to the sole lead on the day by reducing his score by five strokes with one eagle, five birdies, and two bogeys.

His sharp shot-making ability shone brightly. After securing a birdie on the par-4 second hole with a precise iron shot, Kim Ju-hyung lost one stroke on the par-4 sixth hole but recovered with a birdie on the par-5 eighth hole after placing his second shot on the green and sinking two putts.

His short game also stood out. On the 10th hole (par 4), the first hole of the back nine, he failed to reach the green with his second shot but secured a chip-in birdie with a fantastic approach. He maintained his momentum to reduce his score by one stroke on the 11th hole (par 4), jumping to a tie for second place.

Although he lost one stroke on the par-3 12th hole, he recovered immediately. On the par-5 13th hole, which measures 520 yards (475m), he placed his driver tee shot well on the fairway and positioned his ball right next to the green with an iron shot, creating an eagle opportunity that he converted with a calm putt for two strokes under par.

After reducing his score by one stroke on the par-4 16th hole to take the sole lead, Kim Ju-hyung will face the final round in sole first place, ahead of Wang Wei-shuan and Higashi by one stroke.

He also surged to the sole lead in the team event, where rankings are determined by summing the scores of the top two players among those competing. South Korea, which started in a tie for second place with 7-under-par on the first day, dropped to third place despite cutting seven more strokes in the second round. However, on this day, they recorded a combined 6-under-par, totaling 20-under-par 400, to leap to sole first place, overtaking Japan (19-under-par) as well as China and Chinese Taipei (both 18-under-par).

Alongside Kim Ju-hyung, who cut five strokes, the performance of Moon Do-yeop (35, DB Insurance) shone. After reducing his score by four and three strokes on the first two days to reach a tie for third and fifth place, respectively, he secured five birdies on this day but committed four bogeys, settling for just one stroke under par. Nevertheless, he maintained a tie for fifth place with 8-under-par 202.

Kim Seong-hyeon (28, Shinhan Financial Group), who started in a tie for ninth place (2-under-par) on the first day, dropped to a tie for 16th after losing one stroke in the second round. On this day, despite securing six birdies, he committed one double bogey and three bogeys, reducing his score by only one stroke to finish with an intermediate total of 2-under-par 208, placing him in a tie for 14th.

South Korea also rose to the sole lead in the team event, which sums the scores of the top two players among those competing. With Moon Do-yeop trailing by six strokes, the outcome of the final round team event will effectively be determined by the performances of Kim Ju-hyung and Moon Do-yeop.

In the women’s division, composed solely of amateurs, the sluggish performance of Yang Yun-seo (18, Incheon Girls’ High School Affiliated Broadcasting & Open High School) was disappointing. Yang Yun-seo, who started in a tie for seventh place with 2-under-par on the first day, jumped to a tie for third by cutting five strokes the next day. However, on this day, she recorded three birdies and five bogeys for 2-over-par, dropping to fifth place with an intermediate total of 5-under-par 205.

She fell a massive 10 strokes behind leader Pranavi Sharat (India, 15-under-par 195), seven strokes behind second-place Shannon Tan (Singapore, 12-under-par 198), and six strokes behind third-place Lin Ruoning (China, 11-under-par 199), making it virtually difficult to enter the medal contention.

In the team event as well, they appear to be focusing on finishing strong rather than challenging for a medal. Park So-jin (18, Seomun Girls’ High School) is in a tie for 22nd with 8-over-par 218, and Kim Gyu-bin (17, Haksan Girls’ High School) is in a tie for 24th with 9-over-par 219. The team has fallen to eighth place among the nine teams that made the cut with even-par 420 from their previous tie for fourth place.

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*This content was translated by AI.