American Stacy Lewis hasn’t won in more than two years, a winless streak in a position to fall by virtue of the eight-under par 63 she shot in the second round of the women’s Olympic golf competition on Thursday.
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Lewis made so many birdies she lost count.
Henderson said that conditions had improved between the first and second rounds, allowing her to be more precise with her approach. Lewis was one shot behind Inbee Park of South Korea, who birdied her last two holes for another 5-under 66 and the 36-hole lead. Inbee Park shot a bogey-free 66 and is one shot back.
Akinradewo’s teammates took over after she was sidelined by an apparent left knee injury late in the opening set after beginning the match brilliantly.
Lewis, however, had a double bogey in her round when she three-putted the 14th from 25 feet. No matter if she didn’t hit a very good shot on the hole before, she nearly seems like, Hey, I forgot about that already and she’s on to the next. She finished with an Olympic women’s golf record 11 birdies shooting 31-32-63.
“The putter just got hot”, Lewis said.
Lewis said last month it was “really disappointing” that the world s top male golfers skipped the Games. “It just kind of got me more focused instead of going the opposite direction”.
“I kind of got momentum and putts drained for me and I was able to hit some really good shots”, he said. She missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole, and then converted birdies on the last two to reach 10-under 132. She moved up into a tie for 17th place after two rounds of play.
“I’m going to try to keep calm as much as I can”, she said.
Men s golf returned earlier during the Rio Games, with Britain s Justin Rose on Sunday winning the first men s gold in 112 years in a thrilling duel with Sweden s Henrik Stenson. The world’s best player and the odds-on favorite coming in, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, sits at 3-under-par for the tournament after turning in a second round 1-under 70.
An opening round 65 has given Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn the 18-hole lead at the Rio Olympics golf tournament.
Stacy Lewis of United States, birdies on the 18th hole as Sei Young Kim of South Korea, walks past, right, during the second round of the women’s golf event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016.
The other Thai in the tournament, Pornanong “Waew” Patlum of Chaiyaphum, fell another shot back Thursday.
The 18-year-old from Bengaluru, who won the qualifying finals to earn a full card on the Ladies European Tour this season, picked up birdies on the 2nd, 10th and 14th holes and parred the rests to stay three strokes adrift of the leader.
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South Korea’s Chun In-gee waves to the crowd after an eagle at the par-4 ninth during the second round of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic women’s golf tournament on August 18, 2016.
