Juhyung Kim Tied 6th, 4 Shots Behind 3R Leader... First Medal Challenge in Men's Golf [Paris Olympics]

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Kim Joo-hyung (Nike Golf), competing in his first-ever Olympics, starts the final round of the men's golf event at the 2024 Paris Olympics tied for 6th place.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 3rd (local time), Kim Joo-hyung shot 2-under-par 69 with 4 birdies and 2 bogeys in the third round of the men's golf event held at Le Golf National (par 71) in Guyancourt near Paris, France. With a total score of 10-under-par 203, Kim finished the third round tied for 6th place, one spot lower than after the second round.

At the top of the leaderboard are Jon Rahm (Spain) and Xander Schauffele (USA), tied for first at 14-under-par. Kim is 4 strokes behind them. He is 3 strokes behind the bronze medal position held by Tommy Fleetwood (UK) at 13-under-par, making him a contender for the lead on the final day.

During the round, Kim made a birdie on the 3rd hole (par 5), but bogeys on the 5th hole (par 4) and 7th hole (par 4) caused him to lose one stroke in the front nine. However, he improved his performance in the back nine by making consecutive birdies on the 11th hole (par 3) and 12th hole (par 4), and added another birdie on the 17th hole (par 4), reducing his score by two strokes.

If Kim succeeds in his final push depending on the results of the 4th round, there is hope for Korea’s first-ever medal in men's Olympic golf.In women's golf, Park In-bee won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. However, no Korean male golfer has ever medaled at the Olympics.

Kim Joo-hyung joined the PGA Tour in 2022 and has recorded three career wins, emerging as a leading figure in Korean men's golf. He gained significant recognition after finishing runner-up in a playoff against world number one Scottie Scheffler (USA) at the PGA Tour Travelers Championship in June. Last September, he also competed in the DP World Tour Kazuo Open held at the same venue as this Olympics, finishing tied for 6th with a total of 9-under-par.

Ahn Byung-hoon (CJ Logistics) recorded 7-under-par 206, rising to a tie for 17th place. He showed a strong start with four consecutive birdies from the 4th hole but disappointed with a double bogey and a bogey on the 13th and 17th holes, respectively. Nevertheless, he made eight birdies during the day, raising expectations for the 4th round.

Matsuyama Hideki (Japan) is tied for 4th place at 11-under-par 202, while Rory McIlroy (Ireland) and world number one Scottie Scheffler (USA) are tied for 6th place alongside Kim Joo-hyung.