Still anxious about her swing, Lewis went out and shot an 8-under par 63 on Friday, breaking the competitive course record at the new Olympic layout (all right, so it’s been open for about a week) and moving to 9-under at the halfway point of the tournament, one shot behind Inbee Park.
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Charley Hull kept alive British hopes for a gold medal sweep in golf with a 66 that left the Englishwoman tied with Canada’s Brooke Henderson, two shots behind Park.
“I was just a little mad and starting to be a little more aggressive”, Lewis told Golf Channel about how she overcame that double.
America’s Gerina Piller and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, who was one of two players to make a hole-in-one on Friday, are tied second on nine under.
Ko, the No. 1 player in women’s golf, made the first hole-in-one of her career as she raced into contention.
Park rued her mistake-laden back nine with three bogeys, saying, “If I didn’t make as many mistakes as I did today I could have shot three or four shots better”. She started Friday’s round seven shots behind. “That’s what the situation and conditions were like out there”.
Gerina Piller, the American who narrowly qualified for the Olympics in her final event, shot a 68 and was in the final group, two shots behind. All that mattered was a chance to win gold in what she considers the biggest week of her year – next to her marriage August 6 to Houston women’s golf coach Gerrod Caldwell.
“Something seemed to click, and I got more confidence as the day went on”, she said. “I think that’s going to do me a lot of good”. Tied for the lead after a birdie on the 13th, she hit 4-iron into the bunker on the par-3 14th and blasted out weakly to 25 feet.
After a 116-year drought with Olympics women’s golf not being a part of the Games, the return hasn’t disappointed.
They weren’t the only players to struggle.
Winning a medal on Saturday would cap off an incredible career for Park, who is a seven time major champion, Career Grand Slam victor and the youngest player to qualify for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame at the age of 27.
What it means: Park is 18 holes from winning the first gold medal awarded for women’s golf since 1900. She made one last bogey and was at 11-under 202.
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Ko posted a six-under par 65 while playing most of her round before the wind came up and wreaked havoc on much of the field. She birdied the final four holes, finishing with a flourish by hitting a hybrid 199 yards to four feet and making the putt. She rallied on the back side with two birdies and a spectacular eagle on No. 10.
