Yet Friday’s 70 looked solid compared to playing partners Stacey Lewis of the United States of America and Great Britain’s Charley Hull, who were one and two shots behind her overnight.
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Lydia Ko of New Zealand didn’t stand a chance, and neither did anyone else. As for what she does now, next month’s Evian Championship is the only one of the LPGA’s five current majors she hasn’t won.
Friday, it was Lydia Ko’s turn to notch an ace as she moved to within touching distance of South Korea’s Inbee Park at the top of the leaderboard in the women’s individual strokeplay golf event at Rio 2016.
“I think I became too obsessed with results while I was preparing for the Olympics”, Kim said after shooting an even-par 71 at Olympic Golf Course, for the four-day total of one-under 283.
Lin also made a hole-in-one at the eighth, before Ko, her crisp strike bouncing twice before landing in the cup. “It feels great. It’s just really all I’ve wanted”.
“I could have made those ones on 16 and 17, but that’s golf”, the Perth-bred player said.
“I had a lot of attention coming into this week”, Park said.
Maria Verchenova of Russian Federation posted the lowest score, a 62 that featured the third hole-in-one of the tournament.
“I think they’re destined to be long-term top-10 players in the world and possibilities of being No.1 in the world”.
Park took the tournament lead from the second round and held on despite a charge by Ko, who had a career-first hole-in-one in Friday’s third round to leap back into contention. I think that’s really important.
Tomorrow the plan doesn’t really differ for the two-time major victor as a gold medal sits on the line. Park answered with a shot into 3 feet for another birdie.
South Korea had more Olympic qualifiers than any other country, with four, and Park had said earlier that they faced high expectations back home. Ko missed and Park made.
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She finished at 16-under 268, the same score with which Justin Rose won the gold medal last Sunday in men’s golf.
