South Korea's Kim Joo-hyung surged to the top of the leaderboard in the third round of the men's golf competition at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, signaling a strong chance for him to achieve dual victories in both individual and team events.
On October 2, at the Kasugai Country Club's East Course (par 70) in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Kim recorded one eagle, five birdies, and two bogeys for a score of 5-under 65.
With a total score of 12-under 198, Kim climbed from a tie for fifth place to sole possession of first. He is one stroke ahead of joint second-place competitors Kazuki Higa of Japan and Wang Wei-shan of Taiwan, both at 11-under 199.
After finishing the Presidents Cup in the United States last week, Kim traveled directly to Nagoya, Japan. He joined the national team just a day before the first round, facing challenges of jet lag and sleep deprivation. Despite the demanding schedule, he has improved his scores each round, following a 67 in the first round and a 66 in the second.
In the third round, Kim exchanged a birdie on the second hole (par 4) for a bogey on the sixth hole (par 4) but secured a birdie on the eighth hole (par 5) to finish the front nine at 1-under. He found his rhythm on the back nine, making consecutive birdies on the 10th and 11th holes (both par 4). Although he made a bogey on the 12th hole (par 3), he quickly recovered with an eagle on the 13th hole (par 5) and capped off his round with a birdie on the 16th hole (par 4), placing him at the top of the leaderboard.
Kim will aim to maintain his lead in the final round on October 3, which could earn him his first gold medal at the Asian Games.
The South Korean team also boosted its chances for a gold medal in the team event. The team competition combines the scores of the top two players from each country out of three participants per round.
South Korea, with Kim Joo-hyung (12-under) and Moon Do-yeop (8-under), recorded a total of 20-under 400 after the third round. They moved from third place to first, leading Japan (19-under 401) by one stroke. China and Taiwan are tied behind them at 18-under 402.
Moon Do-yeop finished the day with five birdies and four bogeys for a score of 1-under 69, placing him in a tie for fifth with a total of 8-under 202 alongside Keita Nakajima of Japan and Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand.
Kim Sung-hyun, who made six birdies, three bogeys, and one double bogey, finished the round at 1-under 71, with a total of 2-under 208, placing him in a tie for 14th.
The winners of the individual and team events will be determined in the final round.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.