The normally impassive Park, a former world number one, rolled in a final par putt on the 18th hole at the Rio Games Olympic course and appeared to choke up for a moment as she raised her arms in victory.
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“I feel extremely honored and proud that I got to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games”, said Park.
Meanwhile, silver medallist Lydia Ko, the world No.1 from New Zealand, said that getting onto the podium completed a dream she had held since golf was reinstated to the Games in 2009.
Women’s golf returned to the Olympics for the first time since 1900, when American Margaret Abbott won a gold bowl for finishing first. The 19-year-old Kiwi at least made one that mattered.
Inbee Park may have won seven major titles on the LPGA Tour but claiming Olympic gold on Saturday gave her the best feeling of her career.
She carded three more birdies down the stretch, effectively sealing gold with her last one on the par-3 17th. “That’s what the situation and conditions were like out there”. Gerina Piller, an American who has not won on the LPGA tour (but perhaps best known for a clutch putt in the 2015 Solheim Cup), is also two shots back.
Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee called Park’s win “definitely an “in your face victory” given all the pressure she was facing”. “Whether it was a worry or whether it was people thinking she’s going to do good– there was a little bit of confusion from me whether I can perform well this week or not, because I really haven’t performed well this year with the injury”.
Park shot a five-under-par 66 to finish the tournament at 16-under. She wound up with a 75 and was seven back.
Shanshan Feng made it a point to smile more during the final round of the Olympics.
But short birdie tries lipped out on both the 16 and 17 to leave her rueing what might have been after she closed with a birdie for a 67 and a creditable tie for seventh at eight under.
She has played poorly all year because of ligament damage in her left thumb, leading to speculation she was going to retire. Kim eagled the par-5 fifth, hitting a 347-yard drive and a 170-yard approach to 10 feet.
Park, however, is still the player to beat. Brooke Henderson of Canada, the No. 2 player in women’s golf, struggled even more.
Minjee Lee and Su Oh will take away different memories from golf’s return to the Rio Olympics, but one they’ll share is being part of an Inbee Park clinic for the ages. But there Park was, answering questions in her post-round press conference about what it felt like to be so close to a gold medal. Ko was stunned to hear the cheering when it dropped in.
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The United States had the second-most golfers in the field with three, including two-time major victor Stacy Lewis.
