Inbee Park of South Korea pauses on the 18th hole as she finishes the third round of the women’s golf event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016.
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As well as a low score, Lewis had red shoulders by the end of a sunny day.
She was mad that her swing was giving her fits. “It’s going to be pretty special”, she said. Miriam Nagl was picked to hit the first tee shot.
Instead, she reminded those in a country where golf is a passion why she ranks among the best.
Ko made her ace on the par-3 eighth hole, and along with four birdies in the third round, the world No 1 suddenly was up with the leaders in Rio. Both trail Park by two shots. On the par-5 closing hole, Park’s tee shot found a bunker and it took three more shots to reach the green. I saw one thing in the setup of my putting.
Park, 28, was the first of the Se Ri Pak clones to reshape the LPGA, and in turn her success had a profound effect on Ko. You just start imagining and dreaming about it. “I hit the shot of the week there”. Marcus Fraser of Australia also shot a 63 in the opening round of the men’s competition last week on a course set up about 900 yards longer. Now she has the first gold medal awarded in women’s golf since 1900. Seeing a lot of putts go in can change everything. Her bid for a fourth straight birdie spun out on the 13th hole, and she missed a 6-footer on the next hole.
A short birdie putt on the 16th gave her a one-stroke lead after an opening round noted for the heat and laborious pace of play.
Kim’s 50-foot birdie try on his final hole – the par-4 ninth – slid by the right edge Friday, leaving the 21-year-old South Korean player with a tournament-record 10-under 60 and a two-stroke lead.
“To do that in the Olympics, it doesn’t get any better”, a beaming Ko said after the round before adding she was so stunned by the feat she wasn’t sure how to celebrate.
Stacy Lewis had a chance at a medal for the Americans with birdies on the 16th and 17th holes. She made one last bogey and was at 11-under 202. Henderson was still in the mix when she four-putted for double bogey on the 16th hole, taking three of those putts from 3 feet. She figures to be a big part of the final two rounds the way she has kept the ball in play. “I think that’s going to do me a lot of good”. “I will have to play more aggressively than I normally would”.
Last week, Great Britain’s Justin Rose carded a hole-in-one before going on to win Olympic gold.
Lagging behind was Lydia Ko, the No. 1 player in the world and the favorite coming into the week.
That resolve certainly paid off on Friday when winds whipped to 35 miles per hour and numerous game’s best players challenged her.
Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, who held the first-round lead, was forced to withdraw with a knee injury.
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Usain Bolt and Michael K. Williams. She shot a 72 and fell five shots out of the lead.
