Lydia Ko birdies 18, holds on to win Olympic gold medal

GUYANCOURT, France — New Zealand’s Lydia Ko received gold within the ladies’s Olympic golf competitors with a remaining rating of 10-under par Saturday, finishing her medal set after profitable silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo.

In a tense end at Le Golf Nationwide south of Paris, Ko (71 on Saturday) held off a late cost from Germany’s Esther Henseleit, who shot a 66 to assert silver, two strokes behind the New Zealander.

China’s Xiyu Lin (69) completed at 7-under — 281 for the event — to take bronze.

Gold for the South Korean-born Ko additionally gave her the remaining level she wanted to enter the ladies’s golf LPGA Corridor of Fame at age 27.

Ko, who opened the ultimate spherical as a co-leader with Morgane Metraux of Switzerland, was cruising towards victory as she superior to 11 beneath after her first 9 holes to ascertain a five-stroke lead over Henseleit.

However a wayward shot on the thirteenth noticed her hit the water en path to a double bogey, opening the door for Henseleit, who reduce Ko’s result in as little as one stroke.

Taking part in within the remaining group, two-time main winner and former World No. 1 Ko retained her composure as she holed a string of 4 par putts earlier than slotting in a birdie on the 18th inexperienced to win gold.

Metraux slumped from her in a single day co-lead to shoot 79 and tie for 18th at two beneath par, failing to get better from two bogies and a triple bogey in her first 5 holes.

Ending on the identical rating as Metraux was France’s Celine Boutier, who had thrilled dwelling followers by taking a first-round lead on Wednesday. However after opening with a 65, Boutier completed with rounds of 76, 71 and 74.

Taking part in alongside Boutier, defending champion and World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the USA shot 75 to fall to 1 beneath for the event and end in a tie for twenty second.

–Reuters, Particular to Area Stage Media