Even if I hadn’t won a gold medal this week, it would have been a fantastic week.
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Placed at fourth with three-under to leader Park after the third round, Feng saw the gap extended to six shots as she finished two birdies and one bogey, Park recorded four birdies in the first nine holes in Saturday’s session.
She had a poker face and a putter that couldn’t miss, a combination that was too much for Lydia Ko or anyone else.
At no. 3 and 7 in the world, Brooke Henderson and Stacy Lewis of Canada and the US respectively did their utmost to claw their way into the bronze medal race.
“Brazil isn’t a huge golfing nation but it was pleasing to see a lot more people come out for the last two days”.
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.
“I probably could have made those putts on 16 and 17”.
It’s okay, you can go ahead and say it.
“I’ve won majors, but I haven’t won a gold medal, so this feels very, very special”. But the smooth-swinging Park widened that advantage with four birdies in a mistake-free first nine. A tough 30 foot eagle putt on the par five 18th was missed which made it mathematically impossible to catch the golfers in third spot, though Lee did make the birdie to finish a highly creditable eight under par overall.
“It was the wrong time really”.
Starting times have been moved up with play starting on the first and 10th tees because of more rugged conditions in the forecast.
“I was able to get mentally and physically strong enough this week but I really didn’t expect this sort of result”. She’s joined in Rio by fellow Americans Lexi Thompson and Stacy Lewis, who struggled on Friday and carded rounds of five-over par, 76. “And I think the mistakes I made here will help me play better at the next Olympics”. The safe play was the middle of the green and get out of there with a par. I have loved it. “It feels great. It’s just really all I’ve wanted”. It doesn’t come every week.
“I’m better when I’m under the pump but I gave it my all”. “But to put myself back into good position going into tomorrow I think was a job well done going forward”. “I’m already looking forward to the next one in Tokyo if I can get there again”. You’re always playing for your country, but here you’re really playing for your country. “There is no plan for retirement at the moment”, she said. In Rio, the former world No.1 has showed few signs of rust and displayed the same dominance for which she has become known during her 10 seasons on the LPGA Tour. She finished the tournament 16-under 268 with seven birdies and two bogeys.
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“It was just yesterday that knocked the stuffing out of me with the triple bogey on the 12th hole but other than that I played pretty well”. She holed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 69 to claim the silver by one shot over Shanshan Feng of China, who also shot 69.
