South Korea’s Tom Kim appears to be following in the footsteps of several players before him. The 24-year-old was scheduled to tee it up in the 72-player field at the Baycurrent Classic, the third event of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Fall, on October 8. However, the four-time PGA Tour winner has now withdrawn from the tournament. 

PGA Tour Communications announced the field update on X, confirming that Norway’s Kris Ventura, who is currently competing at the Black Desert Championship, will take Kim’s place. While no official reason has been given for the South Korean’s withdrawal, the events leading up to his decision appear to offer some insight into what may have happened. 

Notably, Kim was part of the International team in the Presidents Cup in Medinah. Although his side had to return with yet another loss, Tom Kim had a much bigger responsibility at hand, which forced him to dash to Japan. The 24-year-old captured the gold medal in the men’s individual golf competition at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on October 3, 2026. 

He closed with a brilliant final-round 6-under 64 at Kasugai Country Club to finish at 18-under 262, winning by three strokes over Japan’s Kazuki Higa, China’s Ding Wenyi, and Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana. Regardless, this frequency of participation in mega events may have forced his hand to withdraw from the Black Desert Championship. However, such withdrawals aren’t anything new for a ‘typical winner.’

Michael Thorbjornsen captured his first PGA Tour title at the 2026 Rocket Classic with a final-round 63. And just hours later, Thorbjornsen withdrew from the following week’s Wyndham Championship to rest and prepare for the FedEx Cup playoffs he had just locked up. Similarly, Ryan Fox, fresh off his maiden major at the 2026 Open Championship, pulled out of the 3M Open.

The list of examples is seemingly endless. Aaron Rai, after winning the 2026 PGA Championship, skipped the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. J.T. Poston withdrew from the RBC Canadian Open right after his Memorial Tournament victory. And so on. In any case, though, Tom Kim appears to have received more than a gold medal thanks to his win at the 2026 Asian Games. 

Tom Kim avoids mandatory rule from South Korea that would have altered his career

South Korean men between the ages of 18 and 35 are required to complete 18 to 21 months of mandatory military service. However, Tom Kim has avoided that obligation after winning a gold medal at the Asian Games, where exceptional performances in major international competitions can qualify athletes for military-service exemptions. 

For Kim, the exemption removes the possibility of a lengthy interruption at a crucial stage of his professional career. However, he insisted that avoiding military service was not the main reason he was proud of his victory. 

“I’m more proud that I’m able to bring a medal for my country,” Kim told the Associated Press. 

Speaking to Reuters after securing the gold, Kim also described the experience as one of the most demanding days of his life.

“It’s a crazy feeling. I’m just glad it’s over,” Kim said. “This day was the longest day I think I’ve ever had in my life.”

Hearing that makes it pretty clear why Tom Kim decided to pull out of the Baycurrent Classic, which has a purse of $8 million. But then again, such a move isn’t something new for a golfer these days. Hopefully, Kim will receive the rest he needs to return to the sport.