The Olympic Games officially concluded yesterday and with it, the reintroduction of the sport of golf to the event after more than a century of being absent. The Rio Olympic Golf Course presented a great challenge for some of the best in the world and provided some great drama over the past two weeks. On the men’s side, we were treated to a fantastic duel between 2016 Open Champion Henrik Stenson and 2013 US Open Champion Justin Rose. Rose would eventually take the Gold with Stenson and Kuchar winning Silver and Bronze, respectively.
This week, it was the women’s turn to take on the golf course. With so many of the world’s best in the game in Rio, you could be sure that we were going to be see some great golf. In the end, it would be South Korea’s Inbee Park who would capture the gold medal with a final round 5-under 66 giving her a 268 total and a five-shot victory. Lydia Ko of New Zealand birdied the 72nd hole for the silver and China’s Shanshan Feng took the bronze.
“Well it definitely feels unreal. This is something I’ve been really dreaming of doing this week and get to get to represent your country in the Olympic games and be able to get a gold medal is such a special feeling,” Park told Golf Channel after her round. “I putted well all four rounds. I’ve gone through some tough times, but this is definitely a big relief.”
This was a great performance by Park, who shot 66-66-70-66 throughout the week. She’s been battling multiple injuries this season, including a back injury which forced her to withdraw from the first event of the season followed by her recent struggles with an ongoing left thumb injury which forced her to miss the last month on the LPGA Tour. Her last start on Tour came at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June where she missed the cut. Knowing this, she focused on rehab and practice to prepare for Rio.
World Number 1, Lydia Ko, becomes the youngest medal winner from New Zealand after capturing silver – although she started the final round slow, she birdied three of her last five holes and carded a final round of 69 to capture second place at 11-under-par. Feng had an opportunity to tie Ko with an 11-foot putt for birdie at the par 5, 18th hole to move to 11-under par, but left it short to finish at 10-under par for the week. Feng posted a two-under par, 69 to move into the third position on the podium.
It was definitely a great two weeks of golf during the Olympic Games. In total, six medals were given out to six nations with some phenomenal golf played. With such a reintroduction to the Olympic Games, hopefully the International Olympic Committee will see that the sport does belong in the Olympics and will vote to keep it past Tokyo 2020. Did you catch Olympic Golf on TV? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below and let us know!
Source: Olympic Golf
