Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, who led after the first round on Wednesday, fell down the leaderboard after shooting a second-round 71 for a total of 136.
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There has not been a women’s golf event since American Margaret Abbott won a nine-hole Olympic competition at the Paris Games in 1900.
South Korea managed to secure at least a silver medal in taekwondo on the twelfth day at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Inbee Park, the most decorated major champion in the Olympics, finished her final practice round Tuesday when LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan walked by with a smile and a question.
The women have had only a couple days to learn the Gil Hanse-designed Olympic Golf Course.
“I putted better than yesterday, and after the tee shot at the 10th, I didn’t make any mistake on the back nine”, she said.
“I think it’s so cool to be an Olympian and to be around everything that this event is, is so cool, I mean I grew up probably watching the Olympics more than I watched golf even”, golfer Stacy Lewis said. “I was able to tell – everybody was quite proud to represent their country and quite excited and quite nervous at the same time”.
Jutanugarn is a four-time victor coming off her first major at the Women’s British Open.
Lewis, however, had a double bogey in her round when she three-putted the 14th from 25 feet.
She followed up her opening birdie with a bogey.
“I think everybody feels pretty lucky that we are here representing South Korea”. Lewis knew she had played well in her past four starts – all top-10s. Miriam Nagl was picked to hit the first tee shot. That made her determined to get the shots back, and she did just that by closing with four birdies. She is one of the best young golfers in the world, and is playing the most consistent golf in Rio.
The round ties her with Australia’s Marcus Fraser for the lowest round recorded in men’s or women’s Olympic golf.
The South Korean skipped the last two majors, including a title defense at the Women’s British Open, to nurse a nagging left thumb injury to health for this week. “It is a really hard one”.
Lewis, who is one of three Americans in the Olympic field, along with Lexi Thompson and Gerina Piller, took a carefree attitude coming into the Olympics.
“But I like to think of it as just how I prepare for everything else”.
Henderson won the women’s PGA championship in June 2016, becoming the second youngest victor of an major. Both of them are two strokes adrift of Park on 134.
It was the opposite for Sharp, the world No. 81, who couldn’t seem to get her putter going.
Park, however, felt the real challenge was still to come.
“Bogey-free round, been awhile”, Park said.
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World Number One Lydia Ko saved what was shaping as a disappointing day with a spectacular eagle at the 15 hole. I pretty much scrambled on the first two holes and came off with good pars.
