It was Park’s second-consecutive 66 in Rio and sets up an impressive threesome on Friday in the final group of Park, Lewis and England’s Charley Hull. That made her determined to get the shots back, and she did just that by closing with four birdies.
Advertisement
“Something seemed to click, and I got more confidence as the day went on”, she said. “I hit more fairways, I hit more greens, just kind of played a little bit smarter when I could and I tried to make something happen”.
South Korea s Park continued to look steady despite missing time on the pro tour lately due to a nagging thumb injury, with just one bogey so far.
Chun In-gee is the next best South Korean at six-under, in a five-way tie for eighth. She wasn’t aware of her score until she signed her card. She’s in second place after 36 holes, one behind leader Inbee Park.
The first eagle came at the par-4 ninth, where she chipped in from about 32 yards out. That double at the par-3 14th was the only thing that stopped her from circling her last six holes in a row. “Obviously she does care, but that’s good because it can put a little less pressure on you”. “I think the putts going in definitely helped”, said Lewis, who married Gerrod Chadwell on August 6.
“I got the ring rust off in the last fight and now I’m just pushing on”, she said, adding that she felt she had improved in every area since 2012.
Amy Yang enjoyed a major turnaround. She could only muster a 70 and was seven shots out of the lead. Whatever the case, she’s loving the Olympics and getting to as many other events as she can.
She birdied the next two holes, then converted a 25-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the 17th and finished with her best birdie of the round.
The 2016 Rio Olympics are the first Olympics to have women’s golf since 1900, when American Margaret Abbott won the gold.
Kim also a wild ride on Thursday, as her round of 73 included two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. “And then I hit some close and made some easy birdies coming in”.
Two frustrating, winless years have in some ways returned her to that role.
She didn’t have another birdie the rest of the day, and instead she bogeyed the 10th and the 12th en route to a mediocre round. “I tend to come on strong at the end”, she said.
“It was a real struggle but I am representing my country here and had support behind me so played with the aim of moving up the leaderboard, if only by one place”. The last four weeks, I think I’ve had four top-10s.
Lewis had a blistering round of 63, highlighted by 11 birdies.
Advertisement
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.
