Tom Kim reveals the incredible Tiger Woods message that inspired him to Asian Games gold

Tom Kim woke up on Saturday morning to a message from Tiger Woods. 

Just hours later, he had turned the golf legend's simple advice into Asian Games gold.

With the biggest round of his week ahead of him, Kim found a text from the 15-time major champion waiting on his phone.

“Just be you. Nothing more, nothing less.”

It was a simple message, but one that clearly resonated with Kim.

The South Korean star went on to produce a magnificent final-round 6-under 64 at Kasugai Country Club East Course in Japan, overcoming the pressure of an Asian Games gold medal to finish three shots clear at 18-under par.

For Kim, the victory was about far more than another tournament win.

The 24-year-old secured the individual gold medal and, in doing so, earned a military service exemption that will allow him to continue his PGA Tour career without the interruption he had been facing. 

He also claimed a silver medal in the team competition after South Korea finished runner-up.

“I came here believing that if I just did my thing, things would work out well in the end,” Kim said.

“I tried to maintain that mindset throughout and just play my game.”

Those words echoed the advice Woods had given him earlier that morning.

The friendship between the two players may span a generation, but Woods and Kim have developed a close relationship in recent years. 

They are also teammates on TGL, which is co-founded by Woods and Rory McIlroy. 

Scroll down to see what message Kim plans to send back to Woods...

Tiger Woods continues his own comeback

Woods, 50, was last month seen hitting balls at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey during the NEXUS Cup, a two-day event supporting his foundation.

It was the first time in several months that Woods had been publicly seen taking part in a meaningful session on the range, offering another glimpse of his ongoing rehabilitation.

The former World No.1 underwent the seventh back surgery of his career last October after suffering further pain and mobility problems. 

He has not played a professional event since missing the cut at the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Woods' playing schedule has been severely restricted since the devastating injuries he suffered to his right leg in a serious car accident in 2021.

He has also been away from competition following a car crash in Florida earlier this year, after which he agreed to a plea deal relating to the case.

For now, his own return to competitive golf remains uncertain, but the message to Kim provided a reminder of the influence Woods continues to have on the sport's younger generation.

And Kim certainly made the most of it.

Kim delivers when it mattered

Kim began the final round with a one-shot lead at 12-under par and immediately set about extending it, making four birdies on the front nine.

An eagle at the par-5 13th then gave him a four-shot cushion with five holes remaining.

His only bogey of the day came at the 17th, but by then Kim had finally allowed himself to look at a leaderboard and realised he had a three-shot advantage.

“There were not that many leaderboards but I think it was better for me not to know where I stood,” he said.

“If I got too ahead of myself, it would only have made me more nervous. Without knowing my score, I just wanted to keep making birdies.”

The achievement was even more impressive given the gruelling schedule Kim had endured.

He travelled directly from the Presidents Cup at Medinah in Illinois to Japan, having collected four points from five matches for the International team.

Kim partnered fellow South Korean Si Woo Kim in all four team matches, winning three, before beating Wyndham Clark 3&2 in the singles.

But despite his best efforts at Medinah, Geoff Ogilvy's Internationals, who took a three-point lead into the final day, lost 17-13 to Brandt Snedeker's USA. 

Late Sunday, Kim flew over to Japan with barely any time to recover.

“I landed here at 5 a.m. Tuesday, took a shuttle out to the course at 8:30 a.m. and left at 6 p.m.,” Kim said. 

“I played my practice round in rain while still jet-lagged. It did not even feel like I had a tournament starting the next day.”

Yet none of it stopped Kim from producing his best golf when the pressure was highest.

The gold medal adds another chapter to an outstanding season that has already included a third-place finish at the U.S. Open and victory at the Scottish Open in July.

Kim, who made his Olympic debut in Paris in 2024 without winning a medal, now has his sights set on another international prize at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“With the Olympics being in the U.S., I will feel pretty comfortable there, and I have played at Riviera many times,” he said. 

“My next goal is to win an Olympic gold medal.”

As for Woods, Kim has yet to reply to the message that helped set the tone for his final round.

But he already knows exactly what he wants to send.

“No, I haven't,” Kim joked when asked if he had texted Woods back.

“But I think I will send him a photo of me biting my gold medal.”

After receiving a reminder from Woods to simply be himself, Kim did exactly that — and ended the week with gold around his neck.