“We’re absolutely thrilled to see a Mixed-Team Event added to the programme for Los Angeles 2028,” said IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlon. “Golf was incredibly successful at Paris 2024, and as we continue building on the momentum from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, we’re excited to bring even more attention to our sport through this additional format. The athletes were very enthusiastic about their desire to play with their compatriots, and we look forward to watching them compete together in Los Angeles.”

The Mixed-Team Event will be contested as a 36-hole competition – 18 holes of foursomes (alternate shot) for the first round, followed by 18 holes of four-ball (best ball) for the final round. There will be a maximum of one team per country, with teams comprised of one male and one female who are already qualified for the Men’s and Women’s Individual Olympic Golf Competitions. The Mixed-Team Event will take place after the four-round Men’s Individual Olympic Golf Competition, and prior to the four-round Women’s Individual Olympic Golf Competition. The addition of the Mixed-Team Event marks the first Olympic Golf team competition since the 1904 Games.

The event programme and athlete quotas for LA28 were approved by the IOC Executive Board on 9 April. With a total of 351 medal events, 22 more than at Paris 2024 (329), the LA28 programme maintains the core athlete quota of 10,500 with an extra 698 allocated for the five sports proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee (Baseball/Softball, Cricket, Flag Football, Lacrosse and Squash). The event programme for LA28 was developed based on the requests presented by the International Sports Federations to the IOC. The decision from the IOC Executive Board followed the recommendation from the Olympic Programme Commission and the principles approved in 2023: gender equal, globally appealing, cost and complexity conscious, athlete focused. With the inclusion of boxing, approved by the IOC Session in March 2025, the LA28 sports programme is composed of 31 sports, with an additional five sports proposed by the Organising Committee and approved by the IOC in 2023.

Golf is one of six sports – joining Archery, Athletics (4x100m mixed relay), Gymnastics, Rowing Coastal Beach Sprint and Table Tennis – to add a mixed-gender competition for LA28.

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The 27-year-old Ko, who started the day tied for the lead, fired a 1-under 71 in the final round to finish at 10-under 278. Her lead stretched to as much as five shots after turning in 2-under 34, but she opened the door to the rest of the field following a double bogey at the par-4 13th.

Ko rebounded with four straight pars before dropping a birdie at the last, not only securing the gold medal but also the elusive final point she needed to secure entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame. The gold medal also makes Ko the first-ever three-time Olympic medallist in golf, adding to her silver from Rio 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020.

Moving up 12 spots on the leaderboard and into the silver medal spot on the podium, Henseleit fired a 6-under 66 on Saturday to finish at 8 under, two shots behind Ko. The 25-year-old German opened with rounds of 72-73 before moving into the red on Friday thanks to a 3-under 69.

Also coming from behind to earn her spot on the medal stand was Lin, who birdied three of her last four holes to also post 69 on Saturday and finish three shots behind Ko.

Defending gold medallist and world No. 1 Nelly Korda of USA finished T22 in her gold medal defense, shooting a 3-over 75 on Saturday that included four birdies, four bogeys and a triple bogey. Also coming up short was Team USA teammate Rose Zhang, who teed off in the final group with Ko but shot 74 on Saturday and finished T8. Switzerland’s Morgane Mertraux, who set a new nine-hole Olympic record in the second round with a 28 on the front nine, started the day tied for the lead but fell to T18 after 7-over 79 on Saturday.

Fellow Swiss Albane Valenzuela carded the round of the day, firing a 7-under 65 that vaulted her 20 spots up the leaderboard to finish T13.

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The two-time major winner appeared set to hold the outright lead with one day to play until surprise act and playing partner Metraux produced an eagle at the par-five 18th to join her at 9 under after 54 holes.

Ko, who is bidding to become the first woman in the modern Olympic golf era to win three straight medals (she won silver at Rio 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020), mixed three birdies with a lone bogey at the seventh to turn in 2-under. She then cancelled out a birdie at the 10th with a bogey at the 12th, before birdieing the 17th to take a two-shot lead to the last.

It was then that Metraux, who had been in the shadows of others for most of Friday, produced her best moment of the round as she backed up an excellent approach at the final hole with an equally impressive 20-foot putt for eagle to record a 1-under 71.

While it was not as eye-catching as Thursday’s 6-under 66, in which she played the front nine in 28 blows, world No. 137 Metraux showed her resolve after her round threatened to unravel with three bogeys in a four-hole stretch from holes 10-13.

Two shots adrift sit their nearest challengers in Rose Zhang of USA and Japan’s Miyu Yamashita, another Olympic debutant.

Zhang made eagles at the 14th and 18th in her 67 that also included a double bogey at the par-4 15th, while Yamashita – two years her senior at 23 – posted a 4-under 68.

The Japanese was one of just two bogey-free rounds on Friday, with the other going to Canada’s Brooke Henderson as she hit a 5-under 67 to leave herself at 2 under.

Defending gold medalist Nelly Korda sits in a four-way tie at 7 under after a third-round 70, along with France’s Celine Boutier and China’s Xiyu Lin and Ruoning Yin.

Australia’s Hannah Green carded the best round of the day with a 6-under 66 that featured seven birdies and a stunning 153-yard, hole-out eagle at the par-4 17th to climb into a tie for 11th.

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After starting her day with a birdie at the first, the 27-year-old Metraux went on a tear, starting with an eagle at the par-5 third and then reeling off three straight birdies on Nos. 4-6. She capped her front nine with her second eagle of the day, dropping a putt from 15 feet, 7 inches to turn in 28 and record the best nine-hole score in both the men’s and women’s Olympic golf competitions to date.

“The difference between yesterday and today at the beginning is just the putts that fell,” said Metraux, whose previous best nine-hole score had been a front-nine 30 that came during the first round of the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G. “It just brought me confidence going forward and just tried to stay as present as I could and one shot at a time. It went pretty well.”

The momentum slowed on the back with a bogey-birdie-bogey stretch over holes 13 through 15, and she found the water with her second shot while trying to go for the green in two on the par-5 18th to finish with a bogey.

Metraux, winner of two Ladies European Tour titles, including the 2024 the Jabra Ladies Open in Evian-les-Bains, France, holds a narrow one-stroke lead over China’s Ruoning Yin, who carded the round of the day with a bogey-free, 7-under 65. Two-time Olympic medalist and defending bronze medalist Lydia Ko (72-67) of New Zealand vaulted up the leaderboard and stands third.

Also posting a notable second round was Slovenia’s Pia Babnik, who carded a 6-under 66 that featured a run of five straight birdies on Nos. 12-16. Babnik, who opened with a 2-over 74 in Round 1, improved 26 spots on the leaderboard and currently sits in a tie for fourth.

First-round leader and Frenchwoman Celine Boutier, who opened with a 7-under 75 on Wednesday, struggled to a 4-over 76 in Round 2. She suffered a particularly rough stretch on the back nine, making double bogey at 13, bogey at 14 and double at 15. Defending gold medalist Nelly Korda had eventful final stretch en route to her second-round 70, making birdie at 15, quadruple bogey at 16, bogey at 17 and birdie at 18.

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With big galleries gathered for the first round at Le Golf National on Wednesday, world No. 7 Boutier was inspired as she recorded eight birdies and one bogey to make a dream start in her medal pursuit. Her total equalled the lowest first-round score at the Olympics, matching efforts by Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016 and Madelene Sagstrom at Tokyo 2020.

The Frenchwoman, who won her first major last year on home soil at The Amundi Evian Championship, dropped just a single shot on Wednesday en route to reaching 7-under. She leads the way over South African major winner Ashleigh Buhai.

Boutier made three front-nine birdies before back-to-back gains after the turn saw her move into the solo lead. After finding a fairway bunker off the tee at the 12th, the 30-year-old dropped her lone shot of the day on the par 4.

But that only appeared to refocus her mind as she then reeled off three consecutive birdies from the 14th through to the 16th, highlighted by a chip-in at the par-3 16th hole. The French star then parred the final two holes before receiving a great ovation from the waves of fans assembled around the 18th green.

Buhai, who, like Boutier, is competing in her second Games after making her debut at Rio 2016, mixed five birdies with one bogey to card a 68. She grabbed birdies on the seventh and ninth holes to turn in 2-under, and Buhai was then flawless on the back nine, as a pair of birdies at the 13th and 14th helped her post a 4-under.

World No. 2 Lilia Vu, who pre-tournament said a gold medal would trump her two major wins, sits in a tie for third at 2-under in a four-strong group of players that also includes Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux, Mexico’s Gaby Lopez and Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe.

After a slow start that saw her bogey three of her opening seven holes, world No. 1 Nelly Korda recovered well to kick off her gold medal defense at Le Golf National with an even-par 72.

Perrine Delacour of France hit the opening tee shot at 9 a.m. but later said the experience drained her and contributed to a disappointing 7-over 79.

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On a thrilling final day in the outskirts of Paris, the American was flawless from start to finish, reaching 19-under 265 as he surged to victory, highlighted by an impressive back-nine 29 to underline his status as the world No. 1.

Tommy Fleetwood of Great Britain fell just short of emulating Rio 2016 gold medalist Justin Rose as a closing 66 saw him settle for silver, one shot behind at 18-under. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama rounded out the podium finishers with bronze, finishing a shot further back.

Frenchman Victor Perez delighted the home crowd with a brilliant final-round 63 to finish solo fourth at 16-under, with Rory McIlroy of Ireland and Spain’s Jon Rahm sharing fifth at 15-under.

Scheffler trailed overnight co-leaders Xander Schauffele – who was targeting back-to-back golds – and Rahm by four shots but showed his pedigree to follow up a fast start with an electric finish that included a run of four straight birdies from Nos. 14-17.

The victory is Scheffler’s seventh title of what has been a remarkable year, which already included his successful title defense of THE PLAYERS Championship and his second green jacket at the Masters Tournament in April.

Fleetwood held a share of the lead with Scheffler on the 17th tee, but a miscued chip shot from behind the green led to a bogey and proved costly as he was unable to find a birdie at the last to force a playoff.

Matsuyama, who held a share of the halfway lead, lost ground on Saturday with a level-par 71, but he bounced back in style with a bogey-free 65 to medal in his second Olympics.

Earlier in the day, Rahm seemed on track to win gold for Spain as he opened up a four-shot lead around the turn, but back-to-back bogeys at the 11th and 12th thwarted his momentum. A double bogey-7 at the 14th further hurt his hopes before he missed out on the podium altogether with back-to-back bogeys on his final two holes.

McIlroy finished alongside his Ryder Cup teammate after a spirited closing 66, with a double bogey at the 15th when he found water with his approach ultimately ending his chance of a medal.

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The American arrived at his second appearance at the Games on the back of winning The Open Championship two weeks ago and has continued his excellent form at Le Golf National.

Schauffele was part of a three-way share of the halfway lead at 11-under, but he shot a 3-under 68 that was highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 14th to outperform playing partners Tommy Fleetwood and Hideki Matsuyama on Saturday.

Rahm, playing in the group ahead, produced his second consecutive round of 66 that included a seventh birdie of the day at the 17th to also reach 14-under.

Fleetwood of Great Britain will join the major-winning duo in the final group on Sunday after he mixed three birdies with two bogeys to sit one stroke off the leaders.

Nicolai Højgaard enjoyed the round of the week so far as he matched the course record of 62 with a bogey-free total that featured an eagle and seven birdies.

That moved the Dane into a share of fourth on the leaderboard alongside Japan’s Matsuyama, who lost ground in his pursuit of an Olympic medal with a level-par 71.

World Nos. 1 and 3 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, respectively, are both poised to make a Sunday run as they played their way into contention after contrasting rounds.

While Scheffler mixed six birdies and two bogeys in a round that fluctuated, McIlroy enjoyed his first flawless score of the week as he made five birdies for a 66.

Thomas Detry of Belgium and Korea’s Tom Kim also sit at 10-under – four back – after they carded a pair of 69s. Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg, Australia’s Jason Day and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann round out the top 10 a shot further back.

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Matsuyama, who opened with an 8-under 63, followed up Friday with a 3-under 68 that featured an up-and-down front nine with three birdies and two bogeys. He seemed to be shifting momentum in the right direction on the back nine, making back-to-back birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 followed by a string of pars before notching two more birdies on 16 and 17.

But an errant tee shot on the par-4 18th put the current world No. 12 well right of the fairway, and his second shot off the mounds went just 66 yards and didn’t make it past the first cut of rough. He dumped his third shot in the water in front of the green and after taking a drop, Matsuyama hit it to 12 feet and made the putt for a 6.

World No. 14 Fleetwood (67-64) flirted with the course record during his second round, getting it to 8-under on the day through 17 holes before finishing with his lone bogey of the day at the last. His round was highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 third, where he drained a putt from 46 feet, 9 inches.

After the starting the day one stroke off the lead, defending gold medalist and World No. 2 Schauffele (65-66) dropped a shot early with a bogey at the second, but then turned things around with a stretch of three straight birdies on Nos. 3-5 and added three more on Nos. 9-11. He recovered from a bogey on 14 with a birdie at 15 and finished with four straight pars.

Belgium’s Thomas Detry, who opened with an even-par 71, carded the round of the day with a bogey-free, 8-under 63 – one off the course record and two off the Olympic record. He stands T5 with Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan (69-65), the defending bronze medalist, and Korea’s Tom Kim (66-68). Spain’s Jon Rahm (67-66) sits in solo fourth.

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The Japan native produced a bogey-free, 8-under 63 to top the 60-athlete leaderboard on a sultry day in the outskirts of Paris that featured two weather delays.

Defending gold medalist Xander Schauffele from the United States maintained his momentum from winning his second major title this season at last month’s Open Championship to sit second after a 65.

Joaquin Niemann of Chile, Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo and Korea’s Tom Kim were then three shots off the lead at 5-under.

After missing out on a bronze medal in a playoff on home soil at Tokyo 2020, Matsuyama made the ideal start in his bid for a podium finish as he hit 11 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens.

The world No. 12 enjoyed a fast start with back-to-back birdies at the second and third, before three birdies in succession from the seventh saw him hit the turn in 5-under.

He then made it four birdies in a row at the 10th before two more gains at the 13th and 14th put him firmly in position to break the course record of 9-under 62.

While the early starter on Day 1 was unable to maintain that remarkable pace, he did stay blemish-free as he parred the tough four-hole closing stretch.

The in-form Schauffele got off to an excellent start with a chip-in birdie at the first, before six further birdies saw him close to two off the clubhouse lead held by Matsuyama.

His lone bogey of the day came at the 17th – just before lightning in the area resulted in a 39-minute interruption. He finished the round just before an additional suspension resulted in a delay lasting just over an hour.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler carded a flawless 4-under 67, while Rory McIlroy made an eagle in a 68 that was matched by Ryder Cup-winning teammate Ludvig Åberg, as the marquee threeball drew big crowds.

Earlier in the day, Victor Perez enjoyed the honour of hitting the opening tee shot on home soil. He recovered from a sluggish start to card four birdies on the back nine and finish at 1-under, one stroke ahead of fellow countryman Matthieu Pavon.

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The 23-year-old shot a closing 2-under par 69 Saturday on Kasumigaseki Country Club’s East Course for a 17-under 267 total and one-stroke victory over silver medalist Mone Inami of Japan and bronze medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who finished second in the 2016 Rio Olympics and is now Olympic women’s golf’s first repeat medalist.

“It feels amazing,” said Korda, who this year has won her first major championship, moved to No. 1 in the world and now claimed Olympic gold. “After today Lydia was playing really well, so was Mone, they both played super well, so we were all bunched up there. It was very stressful, but I kept it together, I fought pretty hard.”

Ko and Inami, who tracked and briefly caught Korda with five birdies on the back nine including four straight, shot 65 before settling their order in a one-hole playoff on No. 18. Inami’s quest for gold in her home country ended with a bogey on the 72nd hole after her hybrid approach shot plugged in the face of the front bunker.

“I lost the opportunity to win the gold because of my failed shot and so forth, but still I’m delighted,” said Inami, who plays on the Japan LPGA Tour. “This Olympic Games was held in Japan and I’m so grateful to win this medal. I’m so happy.”

Ko entered the day with the words of her coach in mind, that “what’s meant to be is going to be. So I think that’s what I tried to think today. The Olympics is a very special occasion where obviously, yes, we play for our country on a daily basis, but we’re really playing for them, this means so much then just for us. So, yeah, it’s a huge honor to be able to bring two medals for New Zealand and to be a two-time medalist in the last couple Games.”

Aditi Ashok of India, who started the day in second place three strokes behind Korda, gutted her way around the course despite a distinct disadvantage in length before finishing one stroke out of the playoff with a 68. She hung in and gave herself a chance by holing a number of crucial putts.

“I think today I didn’t really drive the ball very good and then it’s hard to get birdie putts or hit greens when you’re not in the fairway,” said the 23-year-old, who impressed throughout the week and received congratulatory messages from both the Prime Minister and President of India. “So, yeah, that was definitely the hardest part to make a score today. … I didn’t leave anything out there, I think I gave it my hundred percent, but, yeah, fourth at an Olympics where they give out three medals kind of sucks.”

Ultimately, the day was about Nelly Korda and her perseverance, though it started with an early start due to the threat of weather interference with a tropical storm headed toward the area. As it turned out, the only moisture before the brief rain delay was produced by cooling misting fans strategically placed around the grounds.

Korda’s march to the women’s golf title had been tracking ever since she took the second-round lead Thursday en route to her record-tying 62. She briefly built her lead to four with a birdie on the second hole before her coronation took an unexpected detour with a double-bogey 5 on the 7th hole, the result of two misplayed chip shots. It erased what by then was a two-stroke lead over Ko and Ashok and brought others into the mix, including Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark (one back) and Inami (two back), thus issuing a reset for the tournament.

Korda, though, quickly rallied with three straight birdies starting at No. 8, displaying a rare sign of emotion with a mild fist-pump as her birdie fell on No. 9.

“Yeah, I think I was very frustrated with myself and I was not happy at all, so I told myself there’s still a lot of golf to be left and I’m very proud of how I handled the next three holes or even just the entire round after that,” Korda said.

A bogey-5 on No. 11 kept things close, then a weather delay hit at 12:26 p.m. after the final group of Korda, Ko and Ashok hit their tee shots on the 17th hole. But that actually might have been a blessing for Korda.

“Obviously I was nervous,” she said, “but during the rain delay I was just with my sister (Jessica), we were relaxing, kind of chit chatting on the ground, in the clubhouse and I think that really helped a lot just to kind of not think about it and just to kind of take a step away in a sense during that rain delay and have some fun.”

Korda then parred the final two holes to secure the victory. She admitted afterward to feeling a different sort of pressure than she’s used to.

“I mean, you’re playing for something way bigger than just yourself, you’re playing for a gold medal, you’re playing for your country and I mean it’s an amazing achievement, so obviously that was in the back of my head,” Korda said. “So, it’s a different feeling, but I feel like as a golfer or just an athlete you go into every competition or every whatever tournament wanting to win, you have a one goal and that’s to tee it up and hopefully make the last putt on Sunday. So that’s every tournament I feel like is kind of in a sense you stress yourself out the same amount.”

She then added, “I’m going to grow old very fast.”

For now, though, she’s young, mature and an Olympic champion.

News, Notes and Quotes

High praise for Ashok

After her final-round 68 (-3) left her one stroke shy of the playoff for the silver and bronze medals, Aditi Ashok shook off her disappointment and went through the line of multiple media interviews. After satisfying every request, she returned to the clubhouse to start the process of departing Tokyo following a stunning performance that will inspire many in India and around the globe. When she finally got around to checking her phone, she would have seen the following messages.

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi tweeted: “Well played @aditigolf! You have shown tremendous skill and resolve during #Tokyo2020. A medal was narrowly missed but you’ve gone farther than any Indian and blazed a trail. Best wishes for your future endeavours.”

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind also tweeted: “Well played, Aditi Ashok! One more daughter of India makes her mark! You have taken Indian golfing to new heights by today’s historic performance. You have played with immense calm and poise. Congratulations for the impressive display of grit and skills”

Jessica Korda finishes strong with a 64, turns attention to younger sister

While all eyes were on little sister Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda had a strong finish in her first Olympic competition, firing a bogey-free round of 7-under-par 64 to finish 9-under and tied for 15th . She had a disappointing start with rounds of 71-67-73.

Asked about the experience, she said, “I wish it wasn’t so hot, I think I got a little maybe heat issue, especially after the first day. But what a great week to have playing the Olympics and I could only dream of this. I wasn’t even dreaming of this, if we had to qualify last year I wouldn’t have been anywhere near it. So, the fact that we had it this year being, having to qualify for the U.S., being the fourth girl, it’s not easy to make our team. So I’m just really proud of myself for grinding it out and playing consistent enough to be able to climb my way on to the team.”

Jessica, who now was going to turn her attention to Nelly’s final stretch run toward the gold, was asked how her observation of her sister might be different from a regular spectator.

“Her and I kind of talked about it that we’re really calm watching each other, we’re definitely more stressed watching our brother,” she said, referring to their young brother Sebastian, a world-class tennis professional. “For some reason we’re just pretty calm with each other and I think it just kind of know how the other one’s playing and it’s golf, so you don’t really know what could happen coming down the stretch, but I feel like we both have so much fate in each other that we’re just really calm.”

So why is it more nerve-wracking to watch her brother? “Because you don’t know what the other person’s going to do and it’s more like head-to-head and so anything kind of goes, I feel like,” Jessica said. “Whereas this is just a little, you know it’s just a little different. You kind of plot your way around a golf course and you’re a little bit more in control whereas I think in tennis it’s more unknown.”

Returning bronze medalist Shanshan Feng has strong finish, noncommittal about retirement

Shanshan Feng of China, who won the bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics, was slow out of the gate with a 3-over-par 74 but came on strong the final three days with rounds of 64-68-67, finishing in 8th place at 11-under par.

“It was great,” she said of her Olympic return. “I have been waiting for so long for this to come. I thought it was going to happen last year during my birthday, but it was just one year later. And I waited and the good thing was I was still good enough to at least qualify for the team. So here I am and, yeah, I’m already, I already finished the whole tournament.

“I didn’t have a great start, but I felt like the last three days I played like a champion, even though I was like really behind after the first round, but I think I really came back and there’s no regret because this is golf, I mean especially in the Olympics, you have the best girls in the world playing. You just have to have four good days to be able to win a medal. So I think the girls on the top they deserve it. And I’m very happy to see actually like some new faces like some players that are not ranked like really high but they’re all up there competing for the medal, I’m very happy to see that because we need some new faces from new countries. I played with Matilda (Castren) and she’s from Finland, I think she’s an upcoming star. She’s already won a tournament this year and she was great. But other than that, I hope that I can see more Chinese faces getting on the Tour and get on the top of the leaderboard and win tournaments.”

Regarding ongoing speculation of her retirement at age 32, Feng said, “I don’t know. I wouldn’t say I’m retired yet. I would like to play some more on the LPGA, just to give it like a conclusion or what do you call it?”

Send off? Finale? Swan song?

“Okay, something like that,” she said. “But I just don’t feel like I want to do three times quarantine in this second half of the year … So I think that might be a little too much, so I’m going to wait to see how the schedule is like in Asia next year maybe, so hopefully I’ll come back.”

Yuka Saso gets untracked in the final round

U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso of the Philippines had a strong finish with a 6-under 29 on the back nine with four birdies, including three straight, and an eagle-2 on the short 17th hole, where she hit a 3-wood to 10 feet. That gave her a 6-under-par 65 for the day to finish at 10-under 274.

“I putted really good,” Saso said. “I finished that way. Yeah, it feels good. The first birdie (on the back) came, it was really long putt. I didn’t really expect it to go in but it did. Next hole I hit it close and it was a downhill putt, I putted really good. The par-5 I reached it in two, that was really good, a 3-wood. Then on the last hole as well. I really hit a good second shot and made the putt. Now it’s a finish like that, it felt really good to end that way. I hoped I would play that well the first three days.”

Another 29 recorded by Kelly Tan on the back nine

While the drama was unfolding atop the leadership early in the day, Kelly Tan of Malaysia, was quietly putting together her own 29 on the back nine – where she started her round – with six birdies, including five on the last six holes. She cooled off on her final nine, but still finished at 7-under 64. It was a satisfying finish after entering the day five over par with rounds of 73-73-72.

“Yeah, honestly I felt the same every day, I felt that I could do that, it’s just that today the score reflected it and it’s really great to see,” Tan said. “Deep down I felt that I was playing really well, just that the first two days it didn’t show on my card but, yeah, it felt great to be able to just pull it off like that.

“To be able to shoot 7-under at the Olympics on the final round I think that’s something that I’ll never forget,” she added. “Shooting 29 on the back nine, that’s something I haven’t done in my career, so that’s a positive for me as well. Yeah, I know I didn’t get a medal, but I know that I fought hard and I played hard for my country and I’m really proud of the way I did and I bettered my position from the last Olympics and that’s all that matters, so it’s great to see those improvements.”

Green closes in 30 after early struggle

Hannah Green began the day in the penultimate group, five strokes back of Nelly Korda’s lead with the goal of winning a gold medal, but that possibility quickly faded after a 2-over 38 on the front nine. However, the Aussie never gave up, notching four birdies and an eagle at the par-5 14th before the horn sounded suspending play while she was on 17 green. Forty-nine minutes later, she returned to make par before dropping a shot at the 72nd hole, eventually finishing tied for fifth, three strokes out of the playoff for bronze.

“I think to be even in contention come the last couple holes…really proud of myself for how I hung in there and didn’t get too down on myself and tried to think of the bigger picture I guess and being so lucky that we even have an Olympics to compete in,” said a reflective Green.

“I felt like with nine holes to go that I was nowhere near it so when I made the putt on 10 I think it was really important for my confidence,” said Green. “I think the eagle putt on 14 really was when like oh, okay, maybe I am in contention. So super happy to have birdied 15 and 16, but I felt like I made almost a bogey on 17 not birdieing that hole.”

Green had such good momentum and admitted the delay hurt her chances of a medal, but she was happy officials were able to allow the players to complete 72 holes.

“It was hard to pump myself back up again,” she said about returning after the weather delay. “I felt like I was on Cloud 9 for those five holes so, yeah, it was definitely hard to go back and rest and then come back out again.”

Green has been bitten by the Olympic bug and will be striving to make it to Paris in 2024.

“I didn’t really think too much of it but I guess it is only a few years away, so hopefully I can keep continuing to play well,” she said.

Tavatanakit saves best for last

Following rounds of 71-71-69 Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit saved her best for last with a final-round 68, eventually finishing in a tie for 23rd at 5-under par. She did it with a PGA TOUR winner, who is also her instructor, on the bag.

Grant Waite won the Kemper Open in 1993. He also famously finished second to Tiger Woods at the 2000 Canadian Open when Woods hit a spectacular fairway bunker shot over water onto the green on the 72nd hole to secure the win.

“Grant has been a huge part of my success so far this year just because he put my game in a good place and mentality too in the sense that I look at the course differently,” said Tavatanakit. “I approach things differently on the course, just the way I look at things or just in a better perspective.”

Tavatanakit has worked with Waite for a year now and feels like she still has a lot of work to improve.

“My game is trending upwards,” she said.

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It’s the difference between the two 23-year-olds, leader Korda at 15-under par 198 and second-place Ashok at 12-under 201, that makes this so fascinating. On paper, they arrived there with similar-looking rounds of 69 and 68, respectively. But when they say looks can be deceiving, it couldn’t be truer than in the comparison between the two heading into Saturday’s final-round chase for Olympic gold … and silver, and bronze.

Next in line are four players at 10-under: 2016 silver medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand (66), Japan hopeful Mone Inami (68), Hannah Green of Australia (67) and Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark (70).

Statistically speaking, it doesn’t seem like a fair fight between the two leaders. While world No. 1 Korda is bombing drives and hitting short irons throughout the East Course, Ashok is dinking drives and relying on hybrids to reach a number of holes, with at least five par-4s typically measuring over 400 yards. Korda is averaging a full 44 yards further than Ashok, who is second-to-last in the field with a 233-yard average.

And yet, she makes it work with a keen understanding of her limitations and strengths. She still hit 17 of 18 greens, four more than Korda in round three. And then there’s her putting, the very thing she practiced endlessly when first introduced to the game.

“She’s a really solid putter,” said Korda after they played together. “Like she’s a sneaky player. She putts incredibly well. She rolls it really nicely and there’s this kind of like confidence she has on the putting green. She has some kind of swag on the putting green and she owns it.”

That said, Ashok said she’s actually about 15 yards shorter than normal at the moment and revealed for the first time that she had COVID in May and June.

“I do think it took a little bit of strength out of me. I was never this short. I was always short but not like 50 behind Nelly and 50 behind Nanna,” Ashok said, referring to Nanna Koerstz Madsen, the third Friday’s final grouping.

Which makes her performance this week even more remarkable.

Entering the day tied for second with the two Danes, Ashok spent most of the day as the primary suitor to Korda’s lead, supported by her mother who is caddying in place of her usual looper, her father.

“She’s doing great,” Ashok said. “It’s funny, this is the best I’ve played all year.” Asked if her dad is now out of a job, she said, “No, my dad’s good,” she said. “He’s enjoying watching me on TV and he enjoys listening to Bones (Jim Mackay) commentate on my game. It’s funny because he never gets to see me play on TV, he’s always caddying. So that’s been cool. My mom has obviously done a great job this week.”

Ashok was caught and briefly passed by Imani, but a bogey by Imani on No. 18 and birdie by Ashok on 17 flipped the leaderboard in Ashok’s favor.

After the disappointment of not medaling in the men’s competition after Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama entered the final round one stroke behind eventual gold medalist Xander Schauffele of the USA, the host country’s main medal hope rests with Inami. “I had a lot of fun today,” she said. “The only thing was on the final hole I misread the putt which caused a bogey. But otherwise, I had a really good day.”

All this was happening ahead of Korda, who never lost her lead, though she didn’t have nearly the day she did on Thursday when she tied the women’s Olympic record of 62 and flirted with a 59 before making double bogey on the final hole.

On Friday, she made three early birdies to open a brief five-stroke lead, but after a bogey-6 on No. 8, she parred the remaining holes.

“It was very upsetting that I bogeyed a par-5, there’s something inside of me when I bogey a par-5 that I just get so frustrated about because I shouldn’t be doing that,” Korda said. “I kept telling myself that there’s more opportunities ahead.”

But they never came. “I didn’t have a really good back nine, I was kind of spraying it all over the place, I had some testy par putts, but made all pars and I fought really hard to stay in it really or ahead of it,” she added. “I made some mistakes, but it wasn’t really easy out there with the positions I was in.”

Korda was obviously hoping to further distance herself from the field, saying, “I feel like that’s kind of the goal going into every round is to play the best I possibly can and maybe get a comfortable lead. But that’s the thing about golf, once you get a little too comfortable it humbles you when you start making mistakes and you get ahead of yourself. So, yeah, I would have loved to have had — I mean obviously no one’s ever going to complain about a bigger lead going into a final round, but I’m happy with where I’m at.”

But she still has the lead, and the confidence heading into Saturday’s final round, which gets a nice early start at 6:30 a.m. on the 1st and 10th tees to try to beat the predicted heavy rains from a tropical storm headed toward Japan.

But Korda says she won’t play with an additional sense of more urgency.

“No. My mindset is 72 holes so I’m sticking to that,” she said. “I’m trying to give myself opportunities and make them, that’s all. I’m trying to stay as present as possible and see how it goes.”

Other Notes/Quotes

Round of the day

Ecuador’s Daniela Darquea fired a bogey-free 6-under 65 for the low round on Friday.

Think about that for a moment – a 26-year-old from Ecuador, where the capital city of Quito has only eight golf courses, just outplayed 59 of the best women golfers on the planet! That’s the Olympics for you, making moments, inspiring others and building memories.

Darquea began the third round in relative obscurity, teeing off from the 10th tee tied for 46th position. By the end of the day, she sat tied for 25th position at 3-under and seven shots back of the current bronze medal score of 10-under.

Her round included four birdies and an eagle at No. 6 – the second day in a row that she posted an eagle 2 at the drivable par-4 hole.

The LPGA Tour member has experience with medals. She represented Ecuador at the 2015 Pan American Games, the 2016 Espirito Santo Trophy and the 2017 Bolivarian Games, winning silvers in the Individual and Mixed Team competitions at the 2017 Bolivarian Games.

In Ecuador, a country of almost 18 million people, golf is becoming increasingly popular, and Darquea is certainly doing her part to assist that growth.

Silver and bronze medalists from 2016 have worked their way into medal consideration

After playing together the first two rounds, the three returning women’s golf medalists from Rio 2016 were pretty much bunched together, well behind leader Nelly Korda entering Friday’s third round. Gold medalist Inbee Park of Korea was 10 back, bronze medalist Shanshan Feng of China nine back and silver medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand eight back.

Ko made the biggest move on Friday, shooting a bogey-free 66 with five birdies to finish in a tie for third at 10-under 203, five behind leader Nelly Korda of the USA. Feng was continuing her rally from Thursday’s 64 on her birthday with an eagle-2 and two birdies, but then double-bogeyed the par-4 11th. A final birdie-3 on No. 17 gave her a 68 and 7-under total of 206. Park, meanwhile, couldn’t get untracked, finished 71—210.

Feng and Ko, at least, built some momentum on Thursday with Feng shooting 7-under 64 on her birthday and Ko 67. Park finished with a par 71.

“They moved the tee up again own that par four so it became a short par-4 and I just hit like a little controlled driver and then I hit it to three feet, I believe,” Feng said of the eagle on No. 6. “And that was my actually my first eagle of the year. I made a lot of birdies but that’s the first eagle. So I saved it for the best tournament.

“This is the Olympics,” Feng added, “like fourth or fifth it doesn’t matter. Like if it’s not top 3, it’s no difference. And I believe that we have the best girls here in the world so everybody’s going to try to go low tomorrow and somebody will. So hopefully that will be me.”

Ko, meanwhile, could only muster one birdie on the front, but then made four on the back.

“I was just so upset at myself,” Ko said of Thursday’s round of 67 which ended with two bogeys, “because normally I feel like my wedges are some of the most like stronger part of my game and I hadn’t hit a single wedge within 30 feet all day yesterday. At one point I got to realize it’s going too far or too short or something, but I just wasn’t getting a sense of it. And I hit such a great drive down the 18th and I only had like 105 to the pin and I was telling people, you have a 30 feet radius with a gap wedge and I missed that 30 feet, I was like so upset. And, yes, I missed like two, 3-footers, but at the same time trying to 2-putt 60-footers, that’s me putting myself in that position is where that is the flaw and not the putting itself.

“I think if I keep putting myself in 60-footer range I’m going to stress out the bits that I need to do to clean up,” she continued. “So I was really upset at my wedge game and I was hoping that like with the way I was feeling frustrated I didn’t want that to affect the way I went into today. Luckily, I had a pretty smooth start, but then I missed a 3-footer on 2 and I was like, ‘Not again.’ But I think I just stayed patient and there’s so much golf ahead of me. So I just tried to play my heart out and I played the back nine really well today, which was the aspect that I kind of struggled over the last couple days. So definitely nice to I know if issue on that. Hopefully good momentum into the 18 holes we get to play tomorrow.”

Brooke Henderson’s sister holding up despite the heat

Brittany Henderson is sister Brooke’s regular caddie, and is holding up well despite the continued hot conditions that already have sidelined a couple caddies and undoubtedly challenged every one of them. But Brooke said she’s holding up well.

“She’s been amazing,” said Brooke, a returning Olympian for Canada, said following Friday’s round of par 71. “She hasn’t even complained. So, she’s been doing really well. I know not all caddies can say that. I’m pretty proud of her for handling it so well and looking after me after I haven’t been playing very well either, she’s taking care of the both of us.”

Another week, another Irish pairing

Last week in the men’s Olympic competition, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry played their way into the same third-round group. It happened again in the women’s competition, with Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow and Leona Maguire playing together in Friday’s third round.

McIlroy shot 67 and Lowry 68, with McIlroy playing his way into the seven-way playoff for bronze and Lowry finishing T22. Meadow and Maguire entered the day with a tougher task ahead for medal contention nine strokes behind leader Nelly Korda of the USA.

Meadow gained one stroke on Korda with a 68 and is 7-under for the tournament, which is still well within range of medal contention. Maguire has a bit tougher task after a 70, leaving her at 5-under.

Okay with a medal?

After shooting a 1-under 70 and working her way into a four-way tie for third at 10-under through 54 holes, Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen was asked if she would be okay with sharing a bronze medal if the final round was not played due to inclement weather.

“I mean if I don’t get the chance…,” she said before taking a little time to ponder the question. “I would love to play for gold, but if I don’t get the chance at least I have some kind of a medal now, but I think we’ll play, I hope we’ll play.”

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What we do know is that world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the USA totally destroyed the immaculate, susceptible Kasumigaseki Country Club East Course through 17 holes on Thursday and was staring at the magical women’s 59 that only IGF President Annika Sorenstam has recorded in prominent professional competition, that back in 2001. Although Korda ultimately double-bogeyed the final hole, she still finished the day with a record-tying 62, 9-under par, to open a 4-stroke lead at the midway point of the chase for gold. Or so we hope.

The potential wrench is another Pacific storm that could bring torrential rain and wind to the area by Saturday’s scheduled final round, thus ravaging the tournament’s schedule … even to the extreme possibility of cutting to 54 holes.

That said, the intent is to continue as planned and monitor the storm before making a final decision. Meantime, there have been no cooling showers as the heat index reached a week-high of 43C/109F. With more of the same expected on Friday, the field will be starting on both the 1st and 10th tees.

For now, though, it’s all about the 23-year-old Korda, who stands at 67-62—129, 13 under par. Remarkably, she opened with four straight pars before (heat reference) torching the East Course front nine with a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie stretch to make the turn in 30. Then, after two more pars to start the back nine, she birdied five of the next six holes before coming to the par-4 18th.

The trouble began with a tee shot into the right rough which forced her to punch out to the fairway. But her approach fell just short of the green in a bunker. “I just got a little too cute with that pitch shot,” said Korda, who then blasted out and two-putted for the 6.

Afterward, she said she wasn’t thinking about the possibility of breaking 60, more so that “I was like, oh, cool, I have a pretty good lead going into 18. But unfortunate that double on 18, but that’s golf and that’s just how it goes sometimes.

“I had a really good stretch of holes,” she continued. “I think I was like 4-under or 5-under through four holes at one point on the back. Or on the front. The heat’s getting to me. I just stayed really solid today. On the front I was definitely hitting it better and on the back, I wasn’t hitting it as well but making the longer putts.”

It still tied the women’s Olympic record of 62 set by Russian Maria Verchenova at the 2016 Rio Games, and opened the four-stroke lead over three players: Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark (69-64), Aditi Ashok of India (67-66) and Madsen’s teammate, Emily Kristine Pedersen (70-63). Madsen and Ashok were in the day’s first group and Pedersen teed off two groups later. Another stroke back is first-round leader Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden (66-68).

The 26-year-old Madsen shot up the leaderboard first with a six-hole stretch of six under par with four birdies and an eagle-3 on No. 8. “I had a good run on the front nine. Made three birdies and an eagle in a row,” she said. “So I got to 6-under through 8. I was playing pretty good. Then on the back nine I was still playing all right, I just didn’t — I had some good chances I didn’t make but I was still happy with the back nine.”

Perhaps the key to Madsen’s round was that she didn’t have to rely on the sour taste of lemon wedges that are tucked in her golf bag. She’s relied on the unusual regime of biting a lemon to check her emotions and notoriously quick temper when she senses things are beginning to unravel internally. But that certainly wasn’t the case on Thursday, when her round was more like refreshing lemonade.

With that early scoring streak, she caught and passed Sagstrom and remained at or near the top for the rest of the day, which she ended with a 4-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

Playing alongside her was Ashok, who at 18 was the youngest golfer at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Now a mature and battle-tested 23-year-old, she continued her outstanding play with a steady, bogey-free round with five birdies, including on the final two holes. The one on No. 18 matched Madsen’s own, though Ashok’s barely carried the water before rolling to six feet.

“The last three holes I had a couple shots that were just a good number for me and I hadn’t really had any short approaches all day, maybe just a couple,” Ashok said. “So, yeah it was good to have the same number like two times and hit a couple of good putts as well.”

Regarding her 7-iron approach to No. 18, she said, “I hit it like a hair thin than I wanted to, but yeah, according to the number it should have flown and it did so it’s all good.”

Ashok steadily played her own game, which is shorter and has required hitting hybrids into a number of greens. Still, through two days, she has made 10 birdies and just one bogey to close the first round. “I didn’t hit as many as yesterday, but still probably hit five or six hybrids,” she said.

Pedersen’s own outstanding round of 8 under par featured eight birdies, an eagle-2 and two bogeys. “I was wedging it really well today, which gave me a lot of chances for birdie,” she said. “Then I had a really hot putter today and that’s kind of what made the score, I feel like.” The eagle, though, came from a 3-wood tee shot to eight feet on the shortened 248-yard 6th hole.

It was the same club that Korda used for her eagle on the same hole, which came on a 25-foot putt. And it proved to be the catalyst to a remarkable day. Though No. 18 cost her the six-stroke lead she had built, she is ready for whatever comes next.

“I’m going to have the mindset that it’s going to be a 72-hole tournament and whatever happens, happens,” Korda said.

Other Notes/Quotes

Heat remained a primary area of concern

Due to the continued extreme conditions, with the heat index expected to reach 43C/109F, mitigation measures were implemented, including umbrellas being made available to all players and caddies on the 1st tee, roving carts with ice and cooling towels, and volunteers with umbrellas on each tee.

The heat cost two premier players their caddies, World No. 10 Yuka Saso of the Philippines and World No. 12 American Lexi Thompson. Saso had a new caddie in place by the time she teed off for the first round, but Thompson had to find a replacement for Thursday’s second round after her regular caddie, Jack Fulghum, had to drop out with two holes to go on Wednesday.

She was able to get someone with experience in Drew Hinesley, who was in Tokyo working with NBC. Hinesley had previously caddied on the PGA TOUR for then-amateur Bryson DeChambeau at the 2016 Masters Tournament.

Field’s only two lefties paired together

It’s something you don’t see every day, two lefties playing in same group. But that was the case during the first two rounds of the Olympic women’s golf tournament with the only two lefthanders in the field, Kim Metraux of Switzerland and India’s Diksha Dagar, the last player to get in the field.

On Thursday, Metreaux brought further attention to the unique pairing when she holed her second shot of the day for an eagle-2 at the opening hole. The righty who rounded out the group was Tonje Daffinrud of Norway, who sits 60th at 12-over through 36 holes.

Parental advice at two different Olympics

As an 18-year-old Aditi Ashok took her dad, Ashok Gudlamani, to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she made history as the youngest player in either the men’s or women’s competition and the only representative from India in the women’s field. It wasn’t a vacation for her dad. He caddied for his daughter en route to a tie for 41st and experience the duo will never forget. Five years later she has her mom, Maheshwari, on the bag in Tokyo.

“Last time, I had my dad on the bag, so that experience was just so incredible,” Ashok said. “I was like, I want to have my mom next time. I made good on that promise.”

It’s working out well for the now 23-year-old, who was asked about the difference between the caddie skills of her mom and her dad.

“I think when my dad’s there he knows my game a lot more, probably sometimes more than I know myself, so I always feel compelled to rely on him sometimes,” she said. “Whereas this week I know my mom’s there, I can ask her anything, but in terms of like golf advice she may not be able to help me as much as my dad. So I’m just, I guess I’m committing to my decisions more and being more decisive on my own.”

Dynamic Danes in medal contention

The Danish duo of Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Emily Kristine Pedersen shone brightly in Thursday’s second round with Madsen’s 7-under 64 and Pedersen’s 8-under 63 placing the pair in medal contention, tied for second at 9-under, four strokes back of Nelly Korda from the United States.

“Well I had a good run on the front nine,” said Madsen, who made four birdies and an eagle in her first eight holes. “Then on the back nine I was still playing all right, I had some good chances I didn’t make but I was still happy with the back nine.”

Two groups later, Pedersen hit a lot of wedges close and rode a hot putter to join her fellow Dane near the top of the leaderboard.

“I think it’s a really good showcase of golf for Denmark and for women’s golf in Denmark and super happy that we’re both up there,” said Pedersen. “I think we’re producing a lot of really, really good and talented players, when you think about how small we are and how many are on Tour and winning. So I think Danish golf is growing and I think that’s really important.”

Pedersen and Madsen played junior golf together at the same golf club and their families live 500 meters from each other. They grew up together and kind of followed each other all the way.

“We kind of always have been pushing each other, competing and I think that’s one of the reasons we’re both so good and it’s been a good environment to grow up in, having someone to push you a lot,” said Pedersen.

The pair are staying together this week and plan to continue the routine they’ve had off the course, which includes stretching, treatment and eating Chinese food.

Why not Japanese food?

“We have a Chinese restaurant in the hotel,” said Pedersen with a smile.

Olympic ace is highlight for Haddioui

Morocco’s Maha Haddioui, playing in her second Olympic Golf Competition having represented her country in Rio in 2016, made a hole-in-one with a 7-iron at the 163-yard 7th hole, the first ace at the Tokyo Olympics and the fourth in women’s Olympic golf since its return in 2016.

‘Amazing’ was how Haddioui described her first ace in any tournament.

“I’m really excited it happened here,” she said. “I’m always complaining I never got a hole-in-one yet. Always so close. But having it this week, in the Olympics, representing Morocco, I couldn’t ask for better.”

Haddioui’s scorecard included the rare cycle of a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 among her 18 holes on Thursday.

All four women’s Olympic aces have come from players representing different countries – Lydia Ko (NZL), Xiyu Lin (CHN), Maria Verchenova (RUS) and Haddioui (MAR).

Aussie Green hot and cold in search for gold (or silver or bronze)

Following an even-par opening-round 71, Australia’s Hannah Green notched eight birdies and two bogeys en route to a second-round 6-under 65 to sit 6-under and seven strokes back of leader America’s Nelly Korda, but just three strokes back from a current medal position.

“I felt like yesterday was just a matter of getting the rust off,” said Green. “Today I gave myself a lot more opportunities for birdie and managed to roll a couple really important putts in and it kind of just gave me some motivation and some confidence with the putter. So I did exactly what I wanted and hopefully I can keep doing that for the next couple rounds.”

With inclement weather forecast for the weekend and a possibility of the women’s competition being reduced from 72 holes to 54 holes, Green was eyeing her position on the leaderboard when she completed her round early in the day.

“I would like two more days to get back up there,” said Green. “I feel like now that I’ve had a good round I can see what’s capable and there’s no reason why I can’t keep climbing. I really hope that this weather stays away and lets us have a 72-hole tournament.”

Green, a native of Perth where temperatures regularly climb into triple digits (F) during the summer, utilized an ice vest that her team management organized for her to stay cool.

“I pretty much used it every opportunity that I got,” she said. “It wasn’t so bad the first nine holes, the last nine was definitely starting to get warm, but today I have to make sure I’m doing the right thing, but I also have to think about the next couple days. So very grateful for the team running around everywhere and looking after me and my caddie.”

Feng celebrates 32 with 64

China’s Shanshan Feng, the bronze medallist in Rio 2016, celebrated her 32nd birthday in style when she fired a flawless 7-under 64 to haul herself back into medal contention on Thursday. After a disappointing 74 on the first day, Feng sank seven birdies against no bogeys to move up to tied 11th place on 4-under 138.

Feng knows she has her work cut out if she hopes to get back on the podium in Tokyo.

“It was pretty good. My ball striking was much better, so I gave myself a lot of birdie chances and I made most of them. So 7-under I think, yes, I’m still behind, but at least I think it’s halfway there,” said Feng.

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Leader Madelene Sagstrom certainly didn’t experience the 41C/105.8F afternoon heat index in her home country of Sweden, but she did attend Louisiana State University, now lives in Orlando, Florida, and has played in even worse furnace-like conditions in Thailand and Singapore.

That said …

“I’m not going to lie, it’s very hot,” Sagstrom said after shooting 5-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead over world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the USA and Aditi Ashok of India. “But it’s manageable. I know I mean most of us have been in Asia, played a lot of golf over here so we know kind of what to do, you drink a lot of water you have cooling towels, umbrellas, kind of just maintaining the energy and not go crazy. I think at this point it’s harder for the caddies than it is for the players, so it’s more about making sure they’re staying upright.”

Which, in fact, has been a problem.

On Tuesday, U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso had to replace her caddie due to the heat. And today, American Lexi Thompson lost her regular caddie, Jack Fughum, on the 15th hole and had team manager Donna Wilkins step in to finish the round. “I was so worried about him and, I mean, it’s so hot out there,” Thompson said after a difficult round of 73. “I’m from Florida and I’m still not used to that bad of heat. I just hope that he’s okay and he gets the hydration he needs, the nutrients tonight to go into the next few days. If not, I’ll figure something else out. I just want him to be healthy.”

Korda is another Floridian who is used to hot playing conditions, but after her round, she admitted to being light-headed a couple of times when teeing up her ball. “I think the mental aspect of it is probably the hardest just because you have to keep yourself hydrated and you kind of lose it a little out there,” she said. “But I kept myself in it, made sure I drank a lot of electrolytes, too.”

So Wednesday, in part, became a matter of survival, with Sagstrom coming away as the leader after a clean five-birdie, bogey-free round.

“I would say mostly my short game was kind of my savior,” she said. “I was striking the ball all right but not great, so having a strong short game and just giving myself the chances, like solid par chances was kind of the key of my round today.”

Sagstrom then echoed a consistent Olympic golf theme by praising the East Course and its condition. “This course is beautiful,” she said. “The condition of it has been perfect from the start. I like long golf courses in general and it fits my game really well, so very excited with the layout, it suits my eye and the greens are rolling phenomenal which works with my putting too. So, it’s phenomenal.”

Korda, meanwhile, after parring the first hole, went bogey-birdie-bogey before birdieing three of the next four holes, then played consistently on the back with two more birdies. “I’m hoping I’m in total control,” she said. “I kind of sprayed some shots out to the right on my last two holes with my irons, but you’re going to have that, you’re going to lose a little bit of concentration, but I’m going to go to the range after, after I cool off inside for a bit and then try and work on it.”

After Korda finished, Ashok came in with a chance to finish at 5-under by herself but bogeyed the final hole.

“I think I played better than I expected today because I had a lot of hybrids into the greens, so I didn’t really expect to be like 5-under through 17,” said Ashok, a returning Olympian who was the youngest golfer five years ago in Rio at age 18. “But, yeah, I kind of holed some putts and holed important par putts as well which kept the momentum. So, yeah, it was a good day.”

Another stroke back at 3-under 68 are Matilda Castren of Finland, Jin Young Ko of Korea and Carlota Ciganda of Spain. They are followed by nine players at 69, including returning gold medalist Inbee Park and teammate Sei Young Kim of Korea.

There’s also Wei-Ling Hsu of Chinese Taipei, who settled at 69 after taking the early lead with birdies on five of the first six holes … perhaps inspired by the outstanding performance of compatriot C.T. Pan on Sunday. She helped celebrate after Pan recovered from an opening 74, shot a closing 63 to make a seven-way playoff for the bronze, then emerged as the last man standing against the likes of Japan’s national golf hero Hideki Matsuyama, Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and American Collin Morikawa, who was the last to fall. As the world’s 208th-ranked player at the time, Pan outlasted these three players who have combined for seven major championship titles, including two this year. Once Pan beat Morikawa with a par at the 18th hole, Hsu was among several who rushed the green and doused Pan with water.

“That was amazing, what C.T. did,” Hsu said. “I was practicing here on Thursday and I think he shot like 3-over (on Thursday) and he is just amazing. He kept making birdies and in the playoff with seven people, he played another four holes. I was able to be in there to watch him and recognize that someone from Chinese Taipei was able make a bronze medal in front of me. I was able to watch the ceremony and I was tearing in my eyes. I was so touched. It was just incredible. It’s so touching every time someone wins a medal which is an inspiration to me.”

Now the field returns to Kasumigaseki Thursday for another day of sweltering heat, another day of hydration, electrolytes and survival, and a clear vision of what’s at stake.

Other Notes/Quotes

Japan’s women hope to deliver medals for their home country

The performance of Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama was inspiring, if not disappointing. Weighted by the combination of the golf-crazed host nation and his drained endurance due to a recent bout with COVID-19, Matsuyama hung near the top of the leaderboard and battled his way into a 7-way playoff for bronze, only to fall short of the bronze medal. He had chances to change the narrative throughout Sunday despite his low stamina, but missed several makeable putts down the stretch.

Nonetheless, two of his biggest supporters, Team Japan’s Nasa Hataoka and Mone Inami, were inspired by his performance, with Hataoka being onsite to follow him over the weekend at Kasumigaseki Country Club. They now hope to use that to spur them on when the women’s tournament begins Wednesday at Kasumigaseki Country Club. “It was extremely inspiring to watch him trying to go get the medal until the last second,” Hataoka said. “So, we will try to win the medal on the girls’ side.”

Both got off to a solid enough start Wednesday by shooting 1-under-par 70.

Inami arrived late Sunday and had a brief chat with Matsuyama about the course conditions and differences on the East Course since the last time she played it. “He also mentioned that because he couldn’t win the medal on the guys’ side, he sent me a good luck message on the girls’ side,” said Inami, who had the honor of opening the women’s competition Wednesday with the first tee shot.

Both certainly have the pedigree to challenge this week, and not just because of their familiarity with the East Course.

Hataoka, No. 11 in the world, is coming off a victory at the Marathon LPGA Classic, her first win on the LPGA in two years, coming several weeks after nearly winning the U.S. Women’s Open before losing in a playoff to Yuka Saso of the Phillipines. Inami, meanwhile, has five victories and seven other top-10s this year on the Japan LPGA.

Both say they were inspired by Matsuyama’s gutsy performance for their home country.

“I watched a lot of the Japanese athletes win the gold medals and it’s been very inspiring,” Hataoka said. “I hope we can do the same in the women’s golf.”

“I’m not really feeling the pressure,” Inami said, “but I’m more focused on having fun and hopefully I can deliver my best performance and play well out here.”

Don’t mess with Mexico …

Carlos Ortiz of Mexico said he had a blast staying in the Olympic Village last week, and part of the unique experience was staying with several Mexican boxers and their coaches. Now that it’s the women’s turn at Kasumigaseki Country Club, Olympians Gaby Lopez and Maria Fassi were asked about their rooming situation in the Village. The exchange went thusly:

“Yeah, we got weightlifters and boxers, too,” Fassi said.

“We got boxers,” Lopez emphasized.

“And a couple girls from rowing, I think,” Fassi continued. “So we’re protected as well.”

“Yeah, we’re the little girls,” Lopez added.

“Yeah, don’t mess with the Mexican team this week,” Fassi warned with a laugh.

Korda sisters felt the nerves as Xander Schauffele closed out his golden victory

The Korda sisters took time to follow fellow USA Olympian Xander Schauffele for the final holes of his gold medal performance Sunday. And it was nervous for both of them, particularly when he had to lay up from the rough on the final hole before saving par with a brilliant wedge shot to four feet.

“Definitely for me I was nervous on 18 when he pushed his tee shot out to the right and had to lay up,” said world No. 1 Nelly Korda. “But what a clutch pitch shot into 18 and making that putt. Especially with how well the guy in second played,” referring to Slovakian representative Rory Sabbatini, who put pressure on Schauffele with an Olympic record 10-under-par 61.

“Yeah, my Whoop registered an activity in like the last hole,” added Jessica Korda, referring to an elevated heart rate. “So I think we’re really feeling it for him and like Nelly says, it was just so clutch coming down the stretch and that last hole and with the putt and everything that it’s bigger than us and, than golf. So, it was just really cool.”

Nelly got off to a strong start with a 67 and tie for second, while Jessica shot par 71.

A very special moment in an outstanding career

Shanshan Feng of China has compiled more than 20 victories over the past decade, including one major championship. But the third place finish she earned five years ago in the Rio Olympics remains a favorite moment in her outstanding career.

And while other trophies are on display in her home, the bronze medal is tucked away in a safe, removed upon special request from visitors.

“Because it’s small enough, it’s staying in a safe itself,” she said. “It’s not put with the other trophies. When I have friends coming over, if they want to take a look at it, yes, I would show them the medal.”

Just how special is it?

“Out of all of my achievements, I would say a medal at the Olympics is very special because even though I have been a major winner … we have five majors every year, we have in four years 20 chances to win a major. So, I would say it’s harder, much harder to get a medal at the Olympics. So it was, of course, my one of what do you call that? I mean, like the most important or memorized moment in my career, I would say that.”

Feng struggled Wednesday in her return, shooting 3-over 74.

And then there was silver medalist Lydia Ko …

Unlike Feng, 2016 silver medalist Lydia Ko actually isn’t sure where her medal is. “I honestly think it’s in my dad’s wardrobe,” said the New Zealander, who shot 1-under 70 Wednesday. “I think he’s seen it more than me. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it.”

Not that it still isn’t special to her, and she’s relishing a return trip to the Olympics. “I always say that technically the silver medal, I came second to Inbee (Park), but it’s probably the most prestigious and honorable silverware that I’ve got … and no matter if you end up standing on the podium at the end of Saturday or not, just being here and to be able to represent your country and to say that you’re an Olympian, a select few athletes are able to say that. So I think we’re all champions just being here, so I’m just trying to enjoy and be grateful for my second opportunity at the Olympics.”

She then recalled an amusing realization when she was traveling back with the medal.

“I remember I think I was traveling from Rio to Canada, because the Canadian Open was the week after and I left it in my carry on and I think it beeped because, you know, it was obviously a hefty-size medal and you could see in the X ray it was like a perfect circle with what looks like a lanyard almost. And I was like, yeah, that’s the silver medal, which was like a very kind of cool moment. Obviously clearly it’s a perfect circle, that’s my silver medal. I’m normally, I think, not the type to say, hey, like this is what I got, but the Olympics is so special, ever since they announced that in 2016 golf was going to be back in the Olympics in over a hundred years, I knew that I wanted to make the team. I’m always proud to represent New Zealand on a daily basis when we’re playing on Tour and to be able to do that at the Olympics, alongside the best athletes, it’s a pretty surreal experience and I know that it was such an honorable moment.”

Ko also recalls when the last putt dropped to clinch the medal. “I was like a whole array of emotions going through me,” she said. “I thought I was going to cry, but then I saw to my right and Inbee was not crying and she was the gold medalist. I was like, I don’t know if the silver medalist deserves to cry when the gold medalist is like totally fine. So, I think I held back my tears then. But I think it was very meaningful, not for myself only, but for my team and my family and everyone that’s kind of walked through this journey with me to be there and make me be the person that I was at that point.”

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Images courtesy of IGF Golf (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/IGF)

Schauffele [pictured, below] ultimately emerged the winner on this hot, sunny day, clinching his golden moment with one final, gutsy par-save on the final hole for a 4-under par 67 and 18-under total. But it took the mental resilience he said came by way of his upbringing, fostered by a father of German-French descent and Chinese Taipei mother who was raised in Japan. Consider it a respectful nod to the culture of the host country, where his grandparents still live.

“I felt like for the most part of the day I stayed very calm,” Schauffele said. “I usually look very calm but there’s something terrible happening inside at times. So I was able to learn on those moments where I’ve lost coming down the stretch, where I hit a bad shot or a bad wedge or a bad putt and sort of lose my cool. But I felt like today I really, I thought I had a one-shot lead going into 16 or 17 and I looked at the board and I saw Rory shot 61, so that was a nice wake up call for me; thank goodness there was a board there or I wouldn’t have known. Yeah, it was a roller coaster day for me especially on that back nine coming in and just happy I could fall back on parts of my game to sort of pull me through.”

Until that one swing on the par-5 14th hole produced a wayward drive and bogey, Schauffele remained undeterred through a scoring assault that was unfolding ahead, led by Sabbatini’s brilliant record-setting round that concluded more than an hour ahead of him. In fact, the perfect scoring conditions led to a seven-player elimination for the bronze medal, which was finally decided on the fourth extra hole with C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei beating Collin Morikawa of the USA with a par 4 on No. 18. Both had matched the former Olympic record of 63 Sunday to get into the playoff.

Before the late drama unfolded, it appeared to be Schauffele’s private coronation. He entered the day leading Japan’s Olympic hope, Hideki Matsuyama, by one. Then birdies on the first two holes extended his lead to three and indicated the work he had done with his father/swing coach, Stefan, the evening before had resolved some driving issues that developed in round three.

He added two more birdies and seemingly was cruising along until No. 14, where he badly pushed his drive that ended up in dense underbrush and forced a penalty drop. Schauffele managed to save bogey, but that dropped him into a tie with Sabbatini at 17-under par … and his internal battle was on.

“I was cruising pretty nice, I saw that I had a three-shot lead going into 14 and made an absolute mess of the hole,” Schauffele said. “I really tried to keep my head down from that point on and I saw the massive board on 16. So the early putts that fell and the good shots were nice for a cushion and it was fortunately just enough for me to squeak by finishing up.”

While Schauffele had four holes ahead of him, Sabbatini [pictured, above] was waiting with his wife and caddie, Martina, to see how it would unfold. He had done everything he could, putting together a masterpiece that consisted of 10 birdies, and eagle-2, five pars and two bogeys. The closing birdie on 18 came with an emphatic fist pump as the ball approached the hole, giving Sabbatini the men’s Olympic record by two strokes.

“I was out there today and I kept just trying to remind myself, okay, don’t think ahead, don’t think ahead, just enjoy the moment that you’re in because you don’t know what it’s going to end, just enjoy every hole as it comes,” Sabbatini said. “It just seemed like every time I kind of had a hiccup out there I was like, oh, maybe this is the end of the run, but okay. And then all of a sudden, I kicked back into gear. So it was a lot of fun and it was just one of those rare days that you have on the golf course.”

Schauffele finally managed to retake the lead with a birdie-3 on the 17th hole, which was shortened to just 305 yards. But then on No. 18, another pushed drive forced Schauffele to lay up into the fairway, leaving a wedge to the hole. Undeterred, he calmly wedged to four feet and holed the par putt.

“Well, I tell you what, it (the wait) was for a long time,” said Sabbatini, who at 45 was the oldest player in the field. “It seemed like it was inevitable that Xander was going to win and then all of a sudden he created some excitement for us. So, he definitely kind of put me back on edge waiting there at the end.

“It was fun,” he added. “He played fantastic, he’s a great champion and I’m just happy to be able to stand anywhere near him on the podium.”

Once that drama was settled, it was time to settle the bronze medal winner in a star-packed field that also included Matsuyama (who shot 67), Paul Casey of Great Britain (68), Rory McIlroy of Ireland (67), Mito Pereira of Chile (67) and Sebastián Muñoz of Colombia (67). It was so large, it required splitting into two groups.

Matsuyama and Casey were eliminated first, followed by Muñoz, then Pereira and McIlroy.

“I was not able to deliver the performance I was hoping for,” Matsuyama said. ”At the same time, the positive is that I was able to contend. At one point of the round, there was a moment where I could potentially catch up and move past the leaders. But I just was not able to put it together at the end. There are somethings that I’ve identified that I need to work on, which I hope to work on moving forward.”

Morikawa bogeyed the final hole after his approach to the 18th green plugged in the steep upslope of the fronting bunker. Pan sank a par-saving putt for the medal.

“Very satisfying,” Pan [pictured, above] said. “It came as a surprise to me too. After day one, plus 3, 74, I remember I texted one of my good friends and I was like, the struggle is real. So it’s quite a turnaround for this week winning the bronze medal that I couldn’t even think about it, didn’t even think about it after Thursday’s round. So overall that was a very happy ending.”

Morikawa, on the other hand, thought his approach would make the green. “It was a long four holes and I thought my shot was going to be all right and just mishit it,” he said. “CT played great and we had to shoot 8-under for both of us to get in this playoff for bronze. So, it sucks, but hopefully it’s not a last and hopefully we’ll be back in four years.”

McIlroy for one came away more determined than ever to earn an Olympic medal.

“Yeah, it does, it makes me even more determined going to Paris (in 2024) and trying to pick one up,” he said. “It’s disappointing going away from here without any hardware, I’ve been saying all day I never tried so hard in my life to finish third. But it’s been a great experience, today was a great day to be up there in contention for a medal … certainly had a different feeling to it than I expected and yeah, as I said I’m already looking forward to three years’ time and trying to go at least one better but hopefully three better.”

Casey, on the other hand, at age 44 is unsure whether he will get another chance at the Olympics, But he made the most of this opportunity, playing his way into the final pairing after tying with Carlos Ortiz of Mexico for third.

He eloquently summed up the Olympic experience, saying, “This is my first Olympics, so I think that’s the one thing I witnessed a lot this week is there’s triumph and there’s the heart ache and we have seen it in the (Olympic) Village we have soon it in Team GB (Great Britain). Now you’ve seen it here on the golf course as well. So, I mean, first of all, what a day to play the final group in the Olympics with Hideki and then Xander gold medalist in Japan. Brilliant. For me that was one of the coolest rounds to be a part of. Sure, I wish I could have got my driver working a bit better and I struggled, but I battled and I’m so very proud of how hard I worked and tried to squeeze as much out of my game as I possibly could. Would love to have brought a medal home, not just for myself but for Team GB, would have been the ultimate. But the whole week has been phenomenal. I’ve made friends, can’t say enough good things about my experience this week.”

It was a common thread throughout the week, which ended with a most memorable day, particularly for the medal winners.

“I feel good,” Schauffele said of winning the gold medal in Japan, considering his heritage. “I maybe put more pressure on myself to go win this more than anything else for quite some time … And my ties here with my grandparents living here and my mom growing up here as well, there’s just all these things that sort of motivated me to do better, be better. And maybe I put more pressure on myself but it was sort of more than just golf for me and I’m just really, really happy and fortunate to be sitting here.”

Other Notes/Quotes

Behind every great round is a great caddie … or wife?

Might be a saying in there somewhere. That certainly seemed to be the case in the silver/bronze pairing that included Rory Sabbatini, representing Slovakia, and C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei. Both had their wives caddying for them this week – Michelle on C.T.’s bag and Martina on Rory’s. And while it might have taken some time, the combination certainly paid off on Sunday. Sabbatini set a new Olympic scoring record with a blistering round of 10-under 61, while Pan tied the former record of 63. When they finished, Sabbatini was sitting alone in second place and Pan was tied for third with three others. But there was still a long wait ahead to see if they had done enough for medal. At least, they could do so in good company.

“I had the privilege of playing with CT today, so we kind of spurred each other one and he played some fantastic golf and down the end there suddenly I wasn’t so worried about Xander I was worried about CT” Sabbatini said. “So I tried to keep my foot on the gas to keep ahead of him. I think that kind of set the stage for us to put a little bit of pressure on Xander without him knowing.”

Strong showing for Chile

Chile had a particularly strong showing this week with Mito Pereira tying for third and going into a seven-way playoff for the bronze medal and Joaquin Niemann T10 after closing rounds of 67 and 65, respectively.

“Just a great experience and it was great to play for something bigger than me, for my country, so absolutely taking that out,” said Pereira, who had a very makeable birdie putt to win on the second playoff hole but saw it lip out. “I can’t believe that lip out just happened. It’s crazy. I hit a really good shot and it was a perfect putt and I don’t know what happened.”

While Pereira jumped into contention from the outset, Niemann had a slow start with opening rounds of 70 and 69 before shooting 66-65 on the weekend.

“Overall, it was a great week,” Niemann said. “Obviously, I wanted to play better the first two days to give myself a better chance for the weekend, but, yeah, I’m really proud of the way I played on the last two days and giving myself a chance on the last couple holes where I couldn’t make some birdies there. But, yeah, I’m pretty happy the way I finished and hopefully we can somehow win a medal.”

It ultimately didn’t happen, but Niemann came away with a positive memory. “It was a good experience being in Japan being in my first Olympics, I’m going to really remember my first Olympics. I enjoyed it. Yeah, I’m excited to come back and hopefully get another chance [in Paris].”

Thomas recovers with a 65, ending a memorable Olympic experience on a positive note

It wasn’t the week that world No. 4 Justin Thomas wanted or expected, but he at least gained some satisfaction with a closing round of 65 after struggling mightily with his putting the first three days. He finished 10 under par, well behind gold medal teammate Xander Schauffele.

“I think the scores are pretty self-explanatory,” he said after playing the first three rounds in 4-under par. “But it was nice to play well today. The experience was great, it’s a shame that there wasn’t able to be fans because Japan always has an unbelievable turnout and just with the amount of volunteers that were here, let alone if fans could have been here, it would have made a special week even more special. So, it was a shame, but it’s great, I mean with all that’s going on in the world, especially here, we’re fortunate that we were able to compete and it’s pretty cool to say that I’m an Olympian.”

Asked about the overall Olympic experience, Thomas said, “It’s just, it’s so different. It was cooler than I thought it was. I’m more proud of being here than I thought I would be. I thought I would be proud, but the first like day or two I immediately found out that this is like the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of. The Ryder Cup is cool, the Presidents Cup’s cool, but this is just so different. I grew up watching the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup, the majors, and never grew up watching this, so no one was ever able to relay or say how it felt being an Olympian, especially a golfer. And so, it was really — I was never hitting putts as an 8, 10-year-old on the putting green to win the Olympics and win a gold medal. So, I think when you don’t have the ability to dream something, when you get here it’s, it can sometimes just take you by surprise and this definitely exceeded that.”

Playing with the yardages

Several interesting facts about Sunday’s course set-up: The 4th hole was playing as the longest par-3 of the week at 248 yards. Conversely, the 10th hole was the shortest par 3 of the week at 175 yards. And adding to the potential closing drama, the 17th hole, which averaged 344 yards over the first three days, was shortened to a temptingly reachable 305 yards. Only the 6th hole, which surrendered several eagles this week, played shorter at 294 yards on Friday.

Quiet as a Fox

It became early on that the course was ripe for scoring. While Rory Sabbatini was grabbing attention by moving quickly into contention with six under through eight holes, Ryan Fox was rather quietly polishing off a round of 64 with a six-birdie 29 on the closing nine.

“It was just a little too late,” said Fox, who entered the day plus-2 for the tournament. “I actually played quite nicely all week and got nothing out of my rounds and it was kind of the opposite today. I hit a lot of good shots, but when I was in trouble, I made some pars and when I hit good shots I made birdie, which is, that’s been the opposite this week. So it was nice to get a decent round under the belt.”

It capped what has been a rewarding first experience as an Olympian.

“It’s been great,” he said. “Obviously a bit different to last time with the COVID scenario and not getting to go to events and maybe not having the same level of socializing that we had last time, but I mean to get to represent your country at the pinnacle, at the Olympics, is pretty cool and certainly something I wouldn’t want to turn down and a great honor to do. And hopefully, I get another chance to do it in the future.”

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Images courtesy of IGF Golf (Photo by Stan Badz/Ben Jared/PGA TOUR/IGF)

Once Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino calmed his nerves to lace the opening drive down the fairway shortly after 7:30 a.m. local time, focus turned to his fellow playing competitors, Sepp Straka of Austria and Thomas Pieters of Belgium, as they made quick work of the ideal scoring conditions. Quite literally.

By the time Straka set an East Course record and matched the 2016 Olympic men’s record of 8-under-par 63, and Pieters shot his own 65, they were nearly three full holes ahead of the next grouping. Straka’s two-stroke lead eventually would dwindle to one after Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, who was 6-under through 15 when an afternoon thunderstorm delayed play for over two hours, came back to birdie the final hole for a 64.

Pieters, who overcame a rough day on Wednesday with a slight fever and headache, was matched by Carlos Ortiz of Mexico, while Joachim Hansen of Denmark and Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela shot 66. The top of the leaderboard was decidedly international, with 17 countries represented among the top 20, which excluded notable names such as the host country’s main hope, Hideki Matsuyama (69), Collin Morikawa (69) and Justin Thomas (71 with 18 pars) of USA, and Rory McIlroy of Ireland (69), to name a few.

Straka, who lived in Austria until age 14 before his family moved to the U.S., obviously was comfortable in the lead-off position and with the pairing he had. “We had a really good group, had some good mojo going in the group and first off was great,” he said. “We didn’t have to wait on anybody and we played quickly, but we didn’t feel rushed because we had some pretty good space between us and the group behind us, so that was really key.”

On the surface, Straka seemingly had no reason to expect a round that matched the 63s recorded at the 2016 Rio Olympics by Australia’s Marcus Fraser (first round) and bronze medalist Matt Kuchar of the USA (final round). In his last seven starts on the PGA TOUR, Straka had six missed cuts sandwiched around one bright spot of a T10 at the Travelers Championship. But he saw promise.

“I felt like my game was in a pretty good spot,” said Straka, who has the added support this week of twin brother Sam serving as his caddie. “Those first few weeks before Travelers when I missed the cut my irons were bad, but my short game was really good. So I worked on my irons a lot and then my short game got bad. So that’s when I missed the last couple cuts. But yeah, I just changed my putting routine up a little bit and it worked really well and my irons have been pretty good the last few weeks, so I felt pretty good about my game.”

Straka was steady throughout, giving himself good scoring opportunities with fairways hit and strong iron play to finish with eight birdies.

Janewattananond, meanwhile, checked his initial nerves to finish the day with an unblemished card that included seven birdies. “I feel very good to be representing Thailand,” he said. “Playing golf is a different mindset when you’re not playing for yourself, but you’re playing for your country and a medal. I’ve played every major. I got very nervous at the Masters, but this was more nervous than that.”

Pieters, on the other hand, didn’t know what to expect as he entered the day, physically drained from the fever and headache that still had a lingering effect when he woke up Thursday. “I felt horrible this morning even when I woke up, but maybe it’s just because I wasn’t thinking about bad shots or places not to hit it,” he said. “My caddie (Adam Marrow) told me hit it there and I did it … I kept it simple.”

Pieters was only able to practice on the front nine, which he played Thursday in 1-under par. Then he made the turn and relying on his caddie, holed out for an eagle-2 on No. 11 and added birdies on 13, 17 and 18. “Adam did a great job,” Pieters said. “I didn’t play my way out of the tournament the first day, so that’s good.”

Which leaves him in a position to contend again for a medal. Pieters is the highest returning finisher from Rio, where he finished fourth despite a third-round 77 that sidetracked his otherwise stellar play with rounds of 67, 66 and 65.

Ortiz, who also finished his round before the storm hit, made seven birdies and a lone bogey on No. 9.

“It’s a great round, I’m really happy the way I played,” he said. “Everything wasn’t perfect from the beginning, I had to figure it out a little bit. I couldn’t hit the fairways and this golf course is pretty tough from the rough. So, once I got in a rhythm and started hitting fairways it became a little bit more easy and opened up the golf course. And obviously you guys have seen these greens are perfect, so if you start to roll the ball great you can make a lot of putts.”

It’s something that translates easily into all golf languages.

Other Quotes

Hideki Matsuyama on representing the host country: “This experience could be the first and last that I ever get to do to play the Olympics in my home country, but hopefully tomorrow I’ll be able to put together a better round. If I say there’s no pressure I’ll be lying, so hopefully I’ll be able to embrace the pressure and that’s upon me and just try to put together a nice tournament here.”

Justin Thomas, who made 18 straight pars, on his putting: “It’s really hard. I would love to have some kind of old useless club that I could break over my knee right now. I mean, I’m going to be honest. But you got to stay patient and trust the process, I guess could you say, but it obviously is annoying when I’m not really seeing the results and things that I feel like the work I’m putting in. But I’m getting closer, like I said, it’s just so — I never had so many putts, like especially at The Open Championship and had some again here, where I feel like I’m hitting good putts, feel like it’s good speed and they’re just lipping out instead of lipping in. You get on those runs sometimes and it sucks so bad when it’s doing that. But sooner or later maybe it will just take one day and they will fall in for me and I’ll get hot. But it doesn’t feel as far off as it looks.”

Paul Casey, who shot 67, on his opening drive: “So cool that was. Not an ounce of nerves, a hundred percent excitement, which is really, really cool. Yeah, just really proud, to be honest. I think that’s sort of the coolest thing because I thought about it for so long, to actually — because to me you can’t class yourself an Olympian until you’ve actually started your competition. Especially with the COVID tests going on, to get through every single COVID test, come on, cross the fingers. Yeah, it was just brilliant. And then it’s just down to business.”

Jhonattan Vegas on whether being a 2-time Olympian make this even more special: “It does, I mean it does, especially as golf grows and as golf grows in the Olympics and just to put your name in the history like that it’s always cool, it’s always fun, especially like I said, on an event bigger than golf and yourself, this is what sport is all about. It’s just fun being, putting your name in that.”

Sepp Straka of Austria on when the Olympics got on his radar: “When they had them in Brazil I was watching, I wasn’t close to qualifying back then but I was watching and it was seemed like a cool event and everybody that I knew that went over there and played just raved about it. So I knew at that point that that was going to be on my radar and definitely wanted to play well so I could play my way in.”

Corey Conners of Canada on competing as an Olympian without fans: “Yeah it’s definitely a bit strange with no fans but you still feel the prestige of the event and how special it is. It was cool getting announced on the first tee and really proud and honored to represent Canada and heart was beating a little faster than normal on the first tee, but yeah, it’s a cool experience. It would be a lot better if there was fans out here, but we have had to deal with that a little bit on the (PGA) TOUR.”

Adri Arnaus of Spain on the Olympic experience: “I don’t think it gets much better than being mixed with all the athletes and getting to meet some of the Spanish icons from the sport, it’s been really, really cool and, yeah, it’s been awesome.”

Sebastian Munoz of Colombia on his experience so far: “Really good. A lot of firsts for me. Just humbled, humbled by a lot of different athletes, a lot of different guys. The best athletes in the world are here, it’s fun to be in the village, it’s fun to see them do their thing, talk to them, knowing people, it’s definitely something, so really thankful that I’m here and really excited to pursue this tournament and many others.”

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Images courtesy of IGF Golf

The extended three-year qualification process for the men’s golf competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has been completed with today’s publication of the Final Olympic Golf Rankings.

With his US Open victory on Sunday, Jon Rahm of Spain became world number one and jumped Justin Thomas of the United States into the No. 1 position of the Olympic Rankings. Americans finished Nos. 2-5 with Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau, respectively. The United States is the only country with more than two qualifiers for the 60-player field, which will compete at Kasumigaseki Country Club from July 29-August 1.

The men’s rankings underline the diversity of the field with 36 countries represented.

The men’s qualification system for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games commenced on July 1, 2018 and originally was to have concluded on June 22, 2020, while the women’s was to have run from July 8, 2018 through to June 29, 2020. However, following the postponement of the Olympics to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IGF and International Olympic Committee announced in April 2020 an adjustment to the qualifying system where athletes would accumulate Olympic Ranking points through June 2021.

The top-15 world-ranked players are eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top-15, players are eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top-15. The host country is guaranteed a spot, as is each of the five continents of the Olympics.

The women’s rankings will be finalised after this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. The 60-player women’s competition will be held at Kasumigaseki CC August 4-7.

Once the women’s Olympic Golf Rankings are finalised, the International Golf Federation (IGF) will send confirmation of the men’s and women’s quota places to the National Olympic Committees. The NOCs will then confirm use of allocated quota places to the IGF by July 1 and the IGF, in turn, will reallocate all unused quota places before the Tokyo 2020 Sport Entries Deadline on July 5.

The IGF will publish a final entries list of 60 names for both the men’s and women’s events on Tuesday, July 6, which will ratify all the competitors for the respective fields at the Olympic Games.

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VIEW THE FINAL RANKINGS HERE

The 28-year-old from Seoul recorded her third sublime 66 at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro to win the first women’s competition since 1900 by five shots from New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and by six from Shanshan Feng of China. Park finished on a 16-under-par total of 268 with scores of 66-66-70-66.

Park turned the final day in front of a sell-out crowd into a stunning exhibition of brilliantly controlled golf, extending her lead from two strokes overnight into a commanding five-shot victory over world No.1 Ko, who rolled in a seven-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole for a 69 and 273 total to claim the silver medal. Feng matched Ko’s closing score to take the bronze on 274.

Just for good measure, Russia’s Maria Verchenova smashed the course record by firing a nine-under-par 62, assisted by a hole-in-one at the fourth, to climb 25 places into a tie for 18th at the conclusion of a highly successful return to the Olympic Games for women’s golf.

As a result of today’s outcome, it means that all six medals awarded in the two golf competitions have been distributed among six different nations – Korea, New Zealand and China in the women’s competition and Great Britain (Justin Rose), Sweden (Henrik Stenson) and the United States (Matt Kuchar) in last week’s men’s contest.

The new Olympic champion hugged her equally emotional three Korean team-mates after holing out for a regulation par five at the 18th hole and said: “This is definitely one of the special moments in my golfing career and in my whole life.  It feels great.  Obviously representing your country and winning the gold is so special.  It’s just really all I’ve wanted.”

Park’s triumph was all the more extraordinary for the fact that she has only played once competitively since June, the result of an on-going problem with her left thumb which curtailed her 2016 appearances to just 10 starts on the LPGA Tour.

However, with seven majors in her locker, there was no disputing her supreme talent, and Park delivered a masterclass in precision golf, accruing seven birdies – offset by two back-nine bogeys – in holding the opposition at arm’s length all day.

She added: “This is something I’ve really been dreaming of coming into the week. There were so many Korean people out here supporting me and it almost felt like we were in Korea.  Seeing how much support I had this week, I’m just happy that I finished well. This is definitely a big relief.”

Kiwi Ko, still only a teenager and surely set to compete in Tokyo in four years’ time, fought hard to close the gap on the Korean, but ultimately Park’s advantage was seldom under threat.

She commented: “I didn’t have a great start, but I just tried to hang in there.  I can’t believe I’m holding a medal on the podium – it’s what I’ve been dreaming about since 2009.  To actually be there beside Inbee and Shanshan, is a dream come true. This has been just an amazing week.”

Ko knew that she had to get up and down from greenside to avoid a play-off for silver and bronze with Feng, and did so brilliantly. She laughed: “My celebration was as if I won the gold! It’s pretty cool.”

Quotes of the Day – Round 4

Inbee Park 268 (66, 66, 70, 66) On how she rates becoming Olympic champion:  “I think definitely at the top because you know, this is something I’ve never done before.  I’ve won majors, but I haven’t won a gold medal, so this feels definitely very, very special and nothing I want to change.  It’s a special week and special feeling, and I’m so honoured to represent my country.  Being able to receive the gold medal on the golf course was an unforgettable moment.”

Lydia Ko 273 (69, 70, 65, 69): Lydia Ko On other New Zealand athletes coming out to support her Sunday:  “That was one of the greatest things that I was really excited about this week was that I was able to meet other New Zealand athletes and see some that I had met before like Eric (Murray, gold medal rower).  We’ve done a sponsor thing before.  And to see him out here and come out and support me, I think has been amazing.  That’s been one of the greatest memories of this week is to see the other New Zealand athletes, see the New Zealand flag out there and them waving and shouting and supporting.  It’s been amazing.”

Shanshan Feng 274 (70, 67, 68, 69): “Well, of course, China is a very strong country in the Olympics, and we’ve made so many gold, silver, bronze medals.  So my bronze medal maybe doesn’t mean that much for the whole number, but to myself it means a lot, because this is golf back in the Olympics after over a hundred years, and I believe it’s the first time that a Chinese athlete is competing in this event.”

Charley Hull 276 (68, 66, 74, 68): “My first Olympics was a fantastic experience and I got a good buzz off it. I thought it was great. I felt happy with my performance but it’s a shame I couldn’t come away with a medal.”

Gerina Piller 278 (69, 67, 68, 74): “The crowds were awesome today. I didn’t know what to expect. There are a lot of people that come to the Olympics that don’t really know much about golf.  It was pretty impressive that all the people came out.”

Maria Verchenova 280 (75, 70, 73, 62): “I think the whole thing is just me being here and playing here, it means a lot, because that’s going to push Russian golf forward, and that’s what we need, because Russian golf is kind of steady now; it needs to be pushed forward.”

Lexi Thompson 281 (68, 71, 76, 66): “I’ve had more messages and more texts from people that don’t really watch golf.  My parents have gotten messages from people that they haven’t heard from in years, and they are watching golf just because it’s part of the Olympics. I hope this made a mark for us, and hopefully, we’ll be in the Olympics for years to come.”

Leona Maguire  282 (74, 65, 74, 69): “It’s been a fantastic week.  Obviously going to some of the sport events at the start of the week was great.  Got to see Michael Phelps’ last race and then being able to be in the first group here is something I’ll never forget on the first morning. And obviously this has been streamed all around the world, so I think it’s great for ladies golf in general.”

Aditi Ashok 291 (68, 68, 79, 76): “My Facebook page and Twitter has been going off quite a lot.  I’m happy that a lot of people who didn’t really watch golf are watching golf now (in India).  It’s only going to get better from here.”

Miriam Nagl 298 (79, 77, 72, 70): “I think it’s obviously making a huge difference that the Brazilians are coming out and supporting as much as they did this week and last week. I hope it’s going to make a difference. I think it’s a big step to make it big in Brazil.”

Victoria Lovelady 300 (79, 75, 76, 70): “The whole experience was amazing – arriving here, going to the Village, going to the Opening Ceremony, seeing my dad in the Opening Ceremony by coincidence, crying with him, singing the anthem, walking through the village with all the athletes, seeing Bolt, taking a selfie with Bolt, seeing Nadal. Everything was amazing.”

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf Olympic Coach Rankings visit http://eur.pe/OlympicPGAPros

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Standing in her way is the indomitable figure of the Republic of Korea’s Inbee Park, the most decorated major champion in the field, who held firm in blustery conditions to move two strokes clear in the race to capture the first women’s Olympic gold since 1900.

With the prospect of the winds increasing in intensity – and the possibility of thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon – the final round will now be played off the first and tenth tees at 07.00 with the leaders teeing off at 08.44 in order to avoid disruption to a potentially thrilling climax.

Meanwhile Ko, the 19-year-old New Zealander who has taken the golfing world by storm in three trophy-laden years as a professional, defied gusty, swirling winds at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course to blaze a trail through the elite women’s field and into serious medal contention.

At the end of a challenging day, which witnessed several changes at the top of a powerful leaderboard, Ko found herself in a tie for second place after a third round of 65 which featured a dazzling outward nine holes of 29 – and the thrill of that ace from 140 yards.

Park, a seven-time major winner, added a third round 70 for a total of 202 to double her overnight lead to two shots while Ko’s 54-hole total of 204, nine under par, send her hurtling from 21st to second place alongside Gerina Piller. The American dropped a shot at the 18th but managed to sign for a three-under-par 68 and total of 204 while China’s Shanshan Feng matched that 68 to close in on the leading pack on 205.

The capricious nature of the afternoon gusts damaged a number of medal prospects, with Piller’s compatriot, Stacy Lewis, shooting a 76 to slip back from second place into a tie for eighth. Brooke Henderson of Canada, who won the Women’s PGA Championship earlier this season, was only one shot better while Charley Hull’s attempt to emulate Justin Rose’s men’s gold medal for Great Britain also suffered a setback as she took 74.

The timing of Ko’s first hole-in-one could not be more propitious, with the women’s Olympic competition reaching a thrilling climax. The two Olympic events have now witnessed four aces, with two in the men’s contest and two in one day for the women, with Ko matching the feat of China’s Xi Yu Lin earlier in the same day.

The Kiwi said: “This is the first one in a practice round and tournaments, all included.  I almost didn’t know how to react, because it is your first one, and the wind is blowing and I haven’t had the best of luck when it comes to hole‑in‑ones.  I would have loved to like done a dance or jumped up‑and‑down, but in that situation, I think I was almost trying to cry, and then realised I had 11 more holes to play.

“It’s really cool.  It just puts the cherry on top.  This week is about having fun and this experience, being an Olympian and competing in the Olympics, and to have my first hole-in-one, is something that I’ll never forget.”

The medal chase promises to be exciting with Park, Ko and Piller at the head of affairs, and the experienced Korean admitted: It was very challenging (in the) conditions.  I feel like I really struggled out there.  My putting was really, really good today, six birdies out in those conditions is phenomenal. I’m very happy with where I’m positioned right now. “

In spite of the uncertainty over her fitness due to a long-term thumb injury, Park has belief in her ability to strike gold. She added: “Somewhere in my heart, after I made the decision to play this week, I really believed in myself that I can do it.  If I didn’t have a trust in myself, I wouldn’t be playing this week.”

Feng, who moved into podium contention, confirmed that the wind had caused considerable difficulties. She explained: “The wind stayed in the same direction but it was kind of gusty at some points.  It was hard out there, because even for me – and I’m not a short hitter – I used 3‑wood into the greens on three par 4s, and that’s not very normal.  It was really tough.  You just need to stay patient the whole day, and I think I did.”

Hull still believes she is playing well enough to win. She said: “I scrambled quite well. I’m happy with the position that I’m in.  And I’m only in tied fifth position and that’s nothing going into tomorrow. Anything can happen on a Sunday in a major – or in this case, the Olympics.”

Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, the most recent major champion in women’s golf, was forced to retire after 13 holes due to a knee injury.

Quotes of the Day – Round 3

Inbee Park 202 (66, 66, 70): “I think having big names on the leaderboard can make everything a lot more exciting and that can help women’s golf grow a lot bigger. I’m very happy what we are showing in the Olympic golf right now.  It’s really exciting for everyone.  Really exciting for me.  Really exciting for all the other players that are competing.  Exciting for all the people who are watching.  Yeah, it’s a great scenario.”

Lydia Ko 204 (69, 70, 65): “This week has been great.  Even without considering today, I think just this experience, being here, representing New Zealand, seeing some of the other athletes from New Zealand, I think that is an inspiration, and I think that’s what the Olympics is about. Obviously the results and the medals are great, but at the end of the day, it’s about the world’s best athletes together and having a great time and at the end, having to compete to stand on the podium.”

Gerina Piller 204 (69, 67, 68): “I would say it’s one of the biggest (rounds of her life), yes.  Playing the Solheim Cup is definitely dear to my heart and trying to win that for the country.  But I’ve never played in the final round of an Olympics before competing for a medal.  It’s going to be pretty special.  I’m going to soak it in all in, take it all in, and no matter what the outcome, I’m proud to be American.”

Shanshan Feng 205 (70, 67. 68): “Back in China, normally we are only on golf channels, but this time people can see us on any (television) channels.  I think that’s a great chance to let the Chinese know how good the Chinese players are, and hopefully they can just fall in love with the sport and join this sport.”

Paula Reto 209 (74, 67, 68): “It (Olympic Games) feels awesome.  It’s almost like you’ve got something above some people.  Just the experience, it’s something you can’t buy.  It’s something you have to earn. We love the golf course.  It’s great.  For us to play for the first time in a competition since it’s been built – that’s awesome.”

Ariya Jutanugarn (WD due to knee injury): “Yeah, very disappointed, because it’s the Olympics, and I told my caddie that I want to finish like four days.  I don’t care how many over I’m going to be, but I’m thinking about my career.”

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf Olympic Coach Rankings visit http://eur.pe/OlympicPGAPros

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The much-decorated American takes everything in her stride, even preparing for a visit to the Olympic diving event soon after compiling the eight-under-par round which propelled her into the medal positions on 133, nine under par, just one off the pace set by Inbee Park of Korea.

However, watching the talented divers may act as a springboard to success on Saturday afternoon, when Lewis attempts to follow in the footsteps of her compatriot, Margaret Abbot, who won for the United States in Paris way back in 1900.

First, though, the new Mrs. Chadwell faces the challenge of overhauling Park, who continued her impressive recovery from a thumb injury by matching her opening 66 for a 36-hole total of 132.

Lewis carved out 11 birdies during a brilliant performance on the Olympic course, lowering Park’s course record from Wednesday by two shots. Even a bogey and a double-bogey at the 14th failed to halt her inexorable progress up a cosmopolitan leaderboard.

On the contrary, the 31-year-old recovered from that bogey blow on the 14th by closing with four straight birdies to match the 63 shot by Marcus Fraser in the men’s competition exactly one week earlier.

“I guess I have a course record here, and it’s great to put my name on that, and being near the top of the leaderboard at the Olympics,” said Lewis. “It’s something that, I think, every kid is going to dream of doing.”

She added: “It’s been such a cool week so far, and the highlight for me was just getting to see the guys up there on the podium on 18 on Sunday getting their medals and just thinking about how cool that would be to be in their shoes and be doing that on Saturday.  It’s definitely a motivating factor but I’ve had a great week and we’re enjoying it so far.”

Park, the seven-time major winner, admitted that she arrived in Rio more in hope than expectation after a lengthy lay-off due to the on-going thumb injury. However, the Korean has plotted a steady course for two days and said: “I was able to convert the birdies today.  I missed a couple of tee shots, so I was in the sand area, but I was able to convert them into birdies. That’s really the key for today’s round.”

The leaderboard reflects the global nature of the competition, with a league of nations contending inside the top ten of an exciting women’s event. Hard on the heels of Park and Lewis are Canadian Brooke Henderson and Charley Hull, bidding to follow the gold medal performance of her fellow Briton, Justin Rose, last Sunday. Henderson also went low wth a 64 while Hull tagged a 66 onto her initial 68 for an eight-under-par total of 134.

Right behind the leaders are three players on seven under par, Marianne Skarpnord of Norway, Denmark’s Nicole Broch Larsen and Candie Kung of Chinese Taipei while the youngest player in the field, 18-year-old Aditi Ashok carries the hopes of India at six-under-par.

Quotes of the Day – Round 2

Inbee Park 132 (66, 66): “I think first coming here, I didn’t really know whether I was going to play this week or not due to the injury.  Obviously didn’t expect much of a result.  It was more of whether I can play or not.  A good result is a great gift.”

Stacy Lewis 133 (70, 63): “I was excited from the get‑go with the announcement of the Olympics.  There are probably a lot of reasons why we shouldn’t have come and shouldn’t have done this, whether it was Zika or other issues. I just did my homework and nobody gave me a good reason why I shouldn’t come.  You’d have to ‑ I mean, there’d have to be something seriously wrong with me to not come play in the Olympics.  This has been so cool.  Just a different feel about it.”

Brooke Henderson (134) 70, 64:  I feel Britt (sister and caddie) and I came up with a really good strategy for this course over the last week or so, along with Team Canada.  I think so far, it’s been pretty good.  But like I say, there’s still lots of golf left and hopefully I’ll just continue to play smart but take advantage when I can.

Charley Hull 134 (68, 66): “I don’t really look at what I do.  I just kind of get off the golf course and go to the gym.  I don’t really analyse where I am.  I just kind of think, oh, yeah, I played decent, another round tomorrow.”

Marianne Skarpnord, 135 (69, 66): “When I first came there (Team Norway house), I was thinking, God, this is like going to camp or something, border school or whatever.  The food isn’t great.  The beds aren’t great.  The apartment isn’t great.  But the atmosphere and the experience is better and a lot more than I would ever think that it would be.  I’m loving it.  I think it’s really cool.”

Nicole Broch Larsen 135 (67, 68): “It’s cool (Olympic Village).  It’s nice to be surrounded by athletes.  I think we have a good atmosphere in the Danish, yeah, all the Danish people together.  Everybody is cheering for each other.  It’s really cool getting back there yesterday and a lot of people is like, good luck, and well played.  It’s just nice to get their support, as well.”

Aditi Ashok 136 (68, 68): “I think golf every day is different.  You never hit the same shot twice.  So every day is a new experience, and you can’t really come with any expectations.  The game is bigger than all of us, so that’s what I like about it.  Every day, you have a new experience.”

Gerina Piller 136 (69, 67): “Yeah, that would be pretty cool to have a (USA) podium sweep.  It’s definitely been talked about amongst us.  But again, there’s a lot of golf to be played and you can’t put the cart before the horse.  For me, I just want to focus on playing consistent golf and hitting good shots and making putts.”

Minjee Lee 136 (69, 67): “I think when you’re on the golf course, you don’t really think about it.  But when you’re obviously not on the golf course, you’re like, oh, you just sort of realize how big of an event it is and not just for yourself, because you’re representing your country and for women’s golf and all that.  So I think it’s pretty cool just to be here.  I think it’s amazing.  More amazing as it goes.”

Lydia Ko 139 (69, 70): “I think she (Charley Hull) realises how big of a deal it is, and especially with Justin Rose winning the gold medal, I know she would love to putt a contribution to GB. I think it’s just her personality that she’s just cool, outgoing, trying to play some great golf, and no matter what tournament that you’re playing, I think that’s a confidence factor; that either you’re in perfect positions or not, you’re still going out there focusing on that shot in front of me and not worrying about everything that’s gone around you.”

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf Olympic Coach Rankings visit http://eur.pe/OlympicPGAPros

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The talented 20-year-old burst from the pack on a crowded leaderboard to set the standard on the Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro, on a day when women’s Olympic golf made a triumphant return after a 116-year absence.

Victory and a gold medal this week would set the seal on a phenomenal year for Jutanugarn, who reeled off three wins in consecutive starts on the LPGA Tour before landing a first major championship for Thailand in the British Women’s Open just two weeks ago. Olympic glory would be a fifth win – appropriately in view of the association with the five Olympic Rings.

“I think I’m going to be really excited, because I like to represent Thailand,” said Jutanugarn. We want to be the best and have the gold medal for Thailand. I think it’s going to be great if I have it.”

Jutanugarn collected seven birdies and an eagle, offset by a double-bogey and bogey, in lowering the best score over the new Gil Hanse and Amy Alcott-designed Olympic course which stood at 66 for just two hours courtesy of South Korea’s Inbee Park.

Park, one of four South Korean players in the 60-strong field, emerged with great credit from her competitive return in a season curtailed by a ligament problem in her left thumb by carding a five-under-par 66, the same mark as her Korean teammate, Sei Young Kim.

Three players, Nicole Broch Larsson of Denmark, Candie Kung of Chinese Taipei and Carlota Ciganda of Spain, forced their way into contention on 67, four-under-par, with a quarter of golfers on 68, including Great Britain’s Charley Hull, who is seeking to emulate Justin Rose’s gold medal performance in the men’s competition.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand did her cause no harm by holing her nine iron second shot from 136 yards for an eagle two on the 15th, a stunning shot which helped her into a tie for 11th place on 69.

Ko, who at 19 already has two majors to her name, said: “It was my first eagle at the Olympics, so I think it’s great.  At the men’s last week, I think there were two hole‑in‑ones and a few eagles, and I put my contribution to golf by making an eagle, I think is a really good feeling, and especially since I was even par at that point in my round. So to go from zero to two‑under-par was a great turnaround.”

Park, who has been resting in preparation for the Olympics for the majority of the past two months, completed an error-free card and laughed: “Bogey free – it’s been a while!  It feels great.  It wasn’t too windy out there this morning, so I had a lot of birdie opportunities.  I had a really good ball‑striking day and I’m very satisfied with today’s round.

“My injury felt pretty good and everything felt like I was quite ready.  I’m very happy to see the results like today.  It’s a good confidence boost. I felt quite nervous this morning, teeing off, and being able to overcome that kind of nerves feels great.”

Quotes of the Day – Round 1

Ariya Jutanugarn 65 (-6): “I like (the Village) a lot. Before I came here I had no idea what it’s going to be like.  When I got into the Village, I liked it. I love it a lot.  I’m a roommate with the badminton players from Thailand and I have had a chance to watch them play a few matches. Pretty good.”

Inbee Park 66 (-5): “I think that this (the Olympic Games) could be the highlight of my career.  I was lucky enough to have the opportunity. I’ve won a lot of the major championships but, obviously, in the Olympic Games, you get to only do it once every four years, so being able to be standing here representing South Korea is something very special and very meant to be.  (I am) so very happy to be here.  It’s a huge honour, and like I said, it could be the highlight of my golfing career.”

Nicole Broch Larsson 67 (-4):  “It was fun out there.  I didn’t really think about it as the Olympics.  It was another round of golf and I tried to focus on my own things. It was different waking up in the Olympic Village instead of in a single room at another hotel.  It’s just been a really cool experience so far and I’m really enjoying my time down here. I’ve got my brother and my dad here, and we have a few others from the Danish Golf Union. It’s really nice to get support.”

Candie Kung 67 (-4):  “I actually went to Vegas for a wedding before I came here, so I didn’t get here till Monday afternoon. It was one of my best friends from high school.  She planned it around me.  She thought I had three weeks off.  She forgot there’s the Olympics! When I got to the course, it was blowing so hard I couldn’t even walk it.”

Carlota Ciganda 67 (-4): “Watching Rafa (Nadal) is the best.  He’s my hero.  When you watch that guy playing tennis – the way he runs, the way he fights, it’s just another planet.  You can see he’s not playing great, but he still wins.  And when he’s under pressure, he plays even better.  I had breakfast with him, and without competing 2 ½ months, he won the (doubles) Gold Medal and finished fourth (in singles).  We’ve played twice.  He loves golf. I think he’s one of the best athletes in Spanish history.”

Aditi Ashok 68 (-3): “I’ve played the Youth Olympics, as well. I’ve kind of had that experience of playing that and it made me want to play in the Olympics as well.  This is my rookie year. Getting the experience and playing for India and trying to win a medal for my country doesn’t get better than that. It would be huge for women’s golf in India, because we don’t have that many girls playing and this will definitely boost the popularity of the game in India and that’s what we need.  So I hope I can do that.”

Lexi Thompson 68 (-3): “The nerves were there, that’s for sure.  It is a whole different feeling, just stepping on that tee, saying that you’re an Olympian golfer.  There’s nothing like that.  It was an adrenaline rush.  Hopefully we’ll get more and more people out on that first tee as the days go by, but it was an amazing feeling to have.”

Gerina Piller 69 (-2):  When golf came back in the Olympics, I thought, it’s like, wow, here is my chance to go to the Olympics, and never thought I would be standing here giving an interview about being in the Olympics.  It’s just a dream come true. “

Stacy Lewis 70 (-1): “You can’t even compare this to a major.  You have majors, you have LPGA events.  You can’t even compare it to the Solheim Cup.  It’s different.  It’s the Olympics.  It has a different feel about it.  I don’t even know what to compare it to.  I think it’s a good thing that it’s different.  It doesn’t need to be compared with a major or any of that stuff.  It’s its own deal, and you know, we are 60 players here, are forever Olympians, and that’s cool.”

Leona Maguire (Ireland) 74 (+3): Talking about following the men: ““I think for me, the best players in the world are here – that’s their job.  That’s not my job this week.  I’m just out there to have as much fun as I can and do as well as I can, and that’s up to Lydia and Brooke and Ariya and those girls to show that they are the best players in the world.  For me, it’s just a bonus being here.”

Miriam Nagl (Brazil) 79 (+8): Talking about hitting the first Olympic women’s tee shot in 116 years: “It was nerve‑wracking, to be honest.  I was very nervous, but what an honour that I could be hitting this shot.  It means so much to me – being in my home country and golf being back in the Olympic Games, and (the fact that) I have a little daughter now. It was just very special to me.”

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After all, The Open began life just a few miles further down the coast in Prestwick in 1860, and Ayrshire had also witnessed the famous ‘Duel in the Sun’ at Turnberry, when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus battled each other for the 1977 Claret Jug like two steely-eyed gunfighters from the Wild West.

Step forward Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon on July 17, 2016. On an epic day, on the grandest of stages, the pair produced a head-to-head contest which was at least the equal of the Watson-Nicklaus shoot-out 39 years earlier. Stenson, the ‘nearly’ man of major golf, finally lost that unwelcome tag with a majestic closing round of 63. Mickelson shot a bogey-free 65 and lost by three.

Watson and Nicklaus were in agreement – this head-to-head battle surpassed their own blockbuster from 1977. “This was better,” insisted Watson. “Just look at the facts. It was a shoot-out right from the start – great shot after great shot – and one for the ages.”

Stenson, a natural left-hander who learned the game right-handed, was a scratch amateur by the age of 18 and cut his teeth on the European Challenge Tour with considerable success before landing his first European Tour title in 2001. When he sank the winning putt to help Europe retain The Ryder Cup in 2006, his ascent to the upper echelons of the game seemed assured.

It was not to be. The Swede suffered an inexplicable decline, sliding from fourth – in 2009, when he won the prestigious Players Championship on the PGA Tour – to 230th on the World Ranking in 2012. Stenson was clearly in urgent need of some TLC and found a willing confidant in one of the world’s leading coaches, Dubai-based Pete Cowen.

The pair struck up an immediate rapport and set about healing Stenson’s ailing game. The signs that the patient was responding to treatment were soon apparent, to the extent that in 2013 he became the first player to win the FedEx Cup in the USA and the European Tour’s Race to Dubai in the same season.

That same year, he flirted with major success, finishing runner-up behind Mickelson in The Open at Muirfield before taking third place in the US PGA Championship. In 2014, he tied for third in the US Open and fourth in the US PGA. He was getting closer. The restorative powers of Cowen’s coaching medicine were taking effect.

Finally, in 2016, the demons were exorcised. Stenson was imperious over the weekend at Royal Troon, becoming the first Swedish male golfer to savour major championship glory. Two weeks later, Stenson was a serious challenger for the US PGA Championship, and battling for the final day lead, before slipping back to finish tied seventh behind Jimmy Walker of the U.S.

The next step for the Swede was his shot at Olympic Gold in Rio de Janeiro and whilst he didn’t achieve the top spot on the podium, he got closer than any of the chasers finishing with a silver medal.

As Watson pronounced, it was one for the ages. High Noon at Troon. It might never be bettered.

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The Founder of the modern Olympic Games would surely have approved of Tiffany Chan, Leona Maguire and Albane Valenzuela competing in the first Olympic golf competition since 1904 (and the first women’s event since 1900).

As the only three amateur golfers among the 120 entrants (60 men and 60 women) taking part at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro, the trio have not yet earned one pound, euro or dollar from the sport.

That may change in the future as professional golf beckons, but for now Chan, from Hong Kong, Ireland’s Maguire and Swiss miss Valenzuela have been playing for pride and honour.

That is not to underestimate their abilities. All three boast impressive credentials at amateur level, and all of them have performed with distinction in the professional events which enabled them to gather enough points to finish inside the top 60 on the Olympic Golf Rankings.

Chan has already won the Future Open, an LPGA of Taiwan event in 2015 – a victory which help plot her course towards Rio – and her qualification was described by the President of the Hong Kong Golf Association as: “the greatest day in Hong Kong golfing history”. High praise indeed for the 22-year-old.

Maguire, 21, carried the prestige of being the world’s No.1 women’s amateur player for a full year between May 2015 and May 2016 while Valenzuela, at just 18 years of age, made the cut in two majors, the ANA Inspiration and US Women’s Open this year to hurtle towards Olympic glory.

Both Maguire and Valenzuela will enjoy parental and sibling assistance when the women’s event tees off on August 17. Leona, who is 15 minutes younger than her twin, Lisa, will have her sister on caddie duty, a role she performed in the recent RICOH British Women’s Open, where Leona tied for 25th at Woburn in England.

Valenzuela’s father, Alberto, will also be caddying for his teenage daughter, having also fulfilled that role on a number of occasions as Albane has taken a stratospheric route towards the upper echelons of the women’s amateur game.

“It’s a dream come true, and I aim to enjoy every single moment,” said Maguire. “And to have my sister as caddie, and being able to share the experience with her, is extra special. We are both staying in the Olympic Village and it will be reassuring to have Lisa there, with mum and dad staying at home to watch on TV.”

Valenzuela, the offspring of two talented golfers, has no issue with Alberto carrying the golf bag, although mum, Diane, and her brothers, will be watching from outside the ropes.

She said “My dad was a very good international amateur golfer and it’s great to have him by my side. He’s caddied for me many times before. It works really well. He knows my personality and it’s been a good partnership.”

Chan will have her parents and sister, Cathy, among the spectators at Reserva de Marapendi, and she is reveling in the opportunity to represent her country, where the reaction to her selection has been “exceptional”.

She said “The media reaction has been overwhelming and really positive. Now I am looking forward to going to Rio and meeting world class athletes from all over the world in the Olympic Village, playing against the top female golfers in the game but, above all, representing Hong Kong as an Olympian, which is potentially a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Consorting with other athletes from a variety of sports also appeals to Valenzuela, who is disappointed that two famous Swiss, tennis players Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, have pulled out of the Games due to injury.

“I am staying in the Village and looking forward to the overall experience,” she added. “I am attending the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and I hope to walk around the Village and maybe bump into Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps – among the best athletes in the world. It should be amazing. I wouldn’t miss the ceremonies for the world as I may never do anything like it again.”

Due to other commitments, Maguire and Chan will only manage to attend the Closing Ceremony, which falls 24 hours after the first women’s gold, silver and bronze women’s medals for 116 years are decided.

Maguire added: “I am looking forward to the Closing Ceremony, but also I want to seeing some other sports. At a normal tournament, that is not an option. It would be unbelievable to go and watch an Irish athlete win a medal. I remember at London 2012, it seemed like the whole of Ireland stopped to watch Katie Taylor win gold in the boxing. It was phenomenal.”

The Irish woman from Co. Cavan admitted that the Olympics “were not even on my radar” until she was made aware that amateur golfers could qualify. As world No.1, she received invitations to professional events and gradually moved up into the top 60 on the Olympic Rankings.

She also received huge encouragement from Ireland’s Team Leader, the winning 2014 Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley. She said: “Paul’s been great. Really supportive. He got in touch to encourage me to try to get into as many pro events as possible and to try to qualify. He’s always sending me texts asking how things are going and he sent photos of the Olympic course after his visit to Rio. He is definitely going to help Stephanie Meadow and me to prepare in the best way possible.”

All three women have a bright future ahead of them. Who knows? The amateur may yet have the measure of the professional when their competition reaches a climax on August 20. Citius, Altius, Fortius indeed!

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Images courtesy of Ladies European Tour/Tristan Jones

The International Golf Federation this morning announced the draw for the first and second rounds of the women’s golf competition at Rio 2016 when a field of 60 competitors will be seeking to follow in the footsteps of Margaret Abbott of the United States, who won the gold medal in Paris in 1900.

Host nation, Brazil, will be recognised again when Miriam Nagl hits the opening tee shot at 7.30am in the company of Ireland’s Leona Maguire and Kelly Tan of Malaysia – a drive which will mark the return of women’s golf as an Olympic sport after an absence of 116 years. Last week, the honour of the opening tee shot in the men’s competition went to another Brazilian in Adilson da Silva.

Groupings for the field of 60 include world No.1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand playing alongside Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and Charley Hull who will representing Great Britain.  The trio tees off in Wednesday’s final starting time at 11:09am. Nordqvist and Hull will aim to have similar results as their medal-winning countrymen Henrik Stenson (silver) and Justin Rose (gold).

While Ko sits in the top-ranked position in the current world rankings and headed the Olympic qualification, No.2  Ariya Jutanugarn, fresh from her first major championship victory at the RICOH Women’s British Open two weeks ago, will represent Thailand at 10:58am with American Stacy Lewis and the Republic of Korea’s Sei Young Kim.

World No.3, Canadian Brooke Henderson, will play alongside two-time major champion Suzann Pettersen of Norway and fourth ranked Lexi Thompson of the United States at 9:14am.

Another interesting group includes former world No.1 Inbee Park.  The Korean star has been side-lined since the beginning of June with a thumb injury but has been working toward the opportunity to represent her country in Rio.  Park tees it up with American Gerina Piller and Spain’s Azahara Munoz at 9:03am.

The field also includes three amateur golfers, Maguire, Tiffany Chan of Hong Kong and Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland.  All tee times are in local time for Rio de Janeiro.

Click Here to View the Groupings Online

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On a sun-drenched final day, in front of a sell-out crowd of 12,000 at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course, Rose added the Olympic crown to his 2013 US Open title after a prolonged and exciting battle down the stretch with Sweden’s Henrik Stenson.

https://youtu.be/wVrbfXpyad0

In the end, the packed grandstand which turned the 18th arena into a noisy sporting amphitheatre, watched spellbound as Rose got up-and-down from the side of the green for the birdie which sealed a worthy gold medal performance.

Stenson, who knew he needed to hole a 25-footer of his own to force a play-off, three-putted and the first Olympic golf competition since 1904 had a new champion.

Stenson, who emerged on top after a similarly epic shoot-out with Phil Mickelson in The Open at Royal Troon last night, had to accept second place this time and the silver medal was a deserving reward for his part in a wonderful spectacle which saw Matt Kuchar of the United States claim the bronze medal after a course record-equalling last round of 63.

Rose finished with four rounds in the sixties and his closing 67 secured the gold medal with a 16-under-par total of 268. Stenson took silver with a fourth-round 68 for 270 and Kuchar’s swashbuckling last day brought home the remaining medal on 271.

The leading three players completed the 72-hole test detached from the rest of the field, in which Belgium’s Thomas Pieters finished a highly creditable fourth after slicing 12 shots off his third-round 77 with a final day 65.

After holing out for a birdie four on the 18th, Rose punched the air in celebration and fell into the arms of his wife, Kate, before savouring the medal ceremony as the Olympic golf champion.

“Olympic gold medalist – It sounds absolutely incredible,” said the 36-year-old.  “I was on that last green, just sort of pinching myself and taking myself back to the quote that I had given about the Olympics all along – that I hoped my resumé one day read: ‘multiple major champion and Olympic gold medalist’ and if that happened then I’d be a very, very happy man.  I pretty much just need the multiple major now, but for the most part, I’m there on that quote.

“The whole week, I’ve been so focused, really, to be honest with you.  I’ve been so into it.  I’ve been so up for it.  I’ve been just so determined, I suppose, to represent Team GB as best as I could, and it was just the most magical week, it really was.”

The final round in Rio delivered the anticipated head-to-head between two outstanding major champions. And both men held a narrow lead at different times as they exchanged birdies.

It seemed that Stenson might repeat his Open victory at Royal Troon when he edged in front due to a Rose bogey at the 13th, but he handed back the initiative to the Englishman when he bogeyed the 14th and Rose knocked in an eight-footer for birdie on the 15th.

Despite both men missing the green at the last, it was Stenson who blinked first, hitting a weak chip to 25 feet while Rose struck a deft chip close to the hole for a cast-iron birdie four.

Stenson recognised the quality of the golf on display on the final day and admitted: “When you’re in good position to try and win, you always kind of feel a little disappointed afterwards.  But at the same time, we said that all along in the Olympics, you’ve got some pretty good consolation prizes.

“I guess if you would have asked me before the week that I would leave here with a medal, I would have been pretty pleased and I managed to do that.  I’m quite happy, I didn’t feel like I played my absolute best throughout the week but I played good enough to put myself in contention and that was my goal.  Once I was up there, I played pretty well but I needed to play one or two shots better to win it today. “

Rose paid tribute to his rival and friend by saying: “I just said today that I had to out‑Stenson Stenson.  I knew I wasn’t going to get much from him at all.  Obviously the bogey at the last only came because he had to force the putt in.

“But he is unbelievable.  He’s relentless and a great player, and I can’t wait to be on the same team as him in The Ryder Cup.  He’s a great player and he’s a great friend, and I just gave him a hug on the 18th green and he was as gracious as ever. I just said to him, ‘Great summer – winning The Open Championship’, I was so pleased for him.  There are very few guys are you really genuinely, genuinely happy for, and Henrik is one of them.”

Bronze medalist Kuchar just came up short, despite equaling the record 63 set by Australian Marcus Fraser on Thursday. Had he not three putted the 16thand failed to birdie the 18th, he might just have grabbed another colour of medal.

The American Ryder Cup player said: “It’s just an amazing week. It’s a boyhood dream come true. I keep expressing the feeling of sheer pride.  I knew when I was out there playing that I was in third place.  I certainly didn’t want to lose that but also wanted to keep pushing forward.

“While I was out there, playing that back nine, the sense of being an Olympic medalist really hit me.  There were times I kind of had to back off a few times and regather my thoughts and composure to make sure I try to continue to hit good shots and keep making birdies.”

QUOTES OF THE DAY

JUSTIN ROSE: “I think it sits alongside the US Open trophy for me, for sure.  I think people want to keep comparing the two, major championship or Olympic gold, I don’t think they should be compared to one another.  I said earlier this year that if my resumé one day read “multiple major champion and Olympic gold medalist,” I would be a very, very happy man.  Just going to tag on another major now.”

HENRIK STENSON: “You play for your country and I think I did that pretty well today.  It was always going to be a battle ‑‑ or I was hoping it was going to be a battle with me and Justin for the gold and the silver, and it was in the end.  I think we both pleased to be a couple of shots ahead of Matt there coming into the last couple of holes, and it was down to the last hole and Justin just swung that a little bit quicker than me up the 18th (laughs).”

MATT KUCHAR: “I grew up a fan of sport.  I had the dreams most boys have of hoping to compete in an Olympics, hoping to win a medal.  The sport I ended up choosing was the sport that through my lifetime has not been an Olympic sport.  When it did become an Olympic sport, the lights went off and said, how amazing, I can’t believe I now potentially have the opportunity.”

JUSTIN ROSE: (on using a picture of Michael Phelps for motivation) “I think the picture sort of circulated on social media a little bit.  I think Michael Phelps is literally just doing his stroke, eyes forward, and then there’s a guy to his right kind of looking at him.  You know, part of our mentality was just to keep our eyes forward and play as hard as we could and take care of our business.  That’s what Henrik does so well.  I knew that would be a strategy that wouldn’t necessarily give me an advantage today but it would kind of ‑ it was something that was going to be very, very useful.  It was a nice, powerful image on which to work off.”

HENRIK STENSON: (comparing Olympic atmosphere to a major championship) “It is slightly different and I don’t think you necessarily need to compare, either.  It’s a whole new experience for us as golfers, participating here, and it’s been a fun one.  I’m really happy I went.  It’s memories of a lifetime being here competing, and we’re competing for our countries more than we do normally in a way.  Yeah, it’s been a nice ten days in Brazil.”

MATT KUCHAR: “To look at the support that was out here, to look at the guys that came through, won medals, I think it speaks for itself.  This event has gone over I think fantastically well.  Amazing support from the crowds.  I wasn’t really sure what to expect as far as golf in Brazil.  I didn’t think that it would have great support and it really did. If you take the broadcast and then look at what a great showdown to have these two guys battling down the end.  I don’t know that it could have gone much better for the game.  It’s a clear winner to move forward.”

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So, at a time when golf is crying out for a standard bearer to lead the sport into the Olympic arena after an absence of 112 years this month, who better than a Black Knight in shining armour to ride to the rescue?

Now well into his 81st year, the South African has devoted more than six of those eight pioneering decades into helping to popularise the game of golf in even the remotest dot on the planet.

Player realised a life’s ambition by marching around the running track in Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Stadium as the deeply proud Team Leader of his homeland, alongside the four South African golfers who formed part of golf’s return to the Olympic movement.

“Golf needs a shot in the arm right now,” insisted Player, “And this will be the platform on which to convince the International Olympic Committee that golf is not just a good sport, but that we behave well and that we will embrace the public in Rio and make a point of promoting  not only golf and also the IOC.”

Player’s eyes gleam with dazzlzing intensity as he talks, in his inimitably passionate style, about the opportunity to march behind the South African flag with Jaco Van Zyl, Brandon Stone, Ashleigh Simon and Paula Reto. He believes that golf has an opportunity like never before to continue the missionary work started half a century earlier by the original ‘Big Three’ of Player, Palmer and Nicklaus.

The top three in the current World Rankings may be absent at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course from August 11-14, but Player has no doubts how he and his legendary cohorts, Jack and Arnold, would not have missed a golden opportunity to tee up in Rio.

“It’s laughable to suggest otherwise,” he said. “When I see a professional saying he doesn’t care about the development of golf, I want to cry. I’ve spent 63 years with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus going arond the world – not getting a lot of appearence money – promoting the game of golf. Even today, at the age of 80, I keep thinking to myself: what can I do to promote the game that has done so much for me?

“I played golf all around the world in places with yellow fever, in war zones, with people wanting to kill me because of the apartheid system in South Africa. We faced all those difficulties, travelling around the world with no jet planes. It could take me 40 hours to get to America, stopping four times. I hear about (playing) schedules. Let (other players) see my schedule at the age of 80 and it’s well in excess of theirs.

“I grew up with Palmer and Nicklaus; Watson and Trevino. How differently we would have treated the whole situation. I do respect everyone’s reasons for not playing, but I would have given anything to hold, along with my 18 majors and 165 victories, an Olympic Gold Medal. It would have been a dream to get that.”

Growing up in Johannesburg, Player might have been smaller in stature than many of his contemporaries, but very few could ever match his dedication, application and almost superhuman fitness. To this day, the ‘Black Knight’ tackles fitness and diet with an almost religious zeal, revelling in a work schedule that would make a 25 year old shrink in horror. Retirement, he once reportedly said, is “a death sentence.”

Player clearly believes implicitly in the ethos of the Olympic Games as a heaven-sent vehicle to transport golf’s skills and values into uncharter territories.

“There are potentially 3.5 billion people out there watching. There is a reason why it is the biggest sporting event in the world and if ever golf needed a shot in the arm it’s right now. Henrik Stenson certainly provided that at Royal Troon a few weeks ago when he won The Open. What a boost that was, and to know we have The Open champion playing in Rio, and the Masters champion also. Let’s talk about that rather than who might be absent.”

Player continued: “The Olympics will undoubtedly grow the game worldwide, no matter who plays and who doesn’t. So many eyes will see golf on television, when they couldn’t before. Golf needs to be an Olympic sport because of its global allure and I would appeal to the IOC to treat us leniently in terms of golf’s future participation. As Winston Churchill said: ‘The youth of today are the trustees of prosperity’.”

Player nodded with quiet approval when one of his charges, Jaco Van Zyl, withdrew from The Open and the US PGA Championship in order to re-charge his batteries and focus all his mental and physical energies on reaching his peak in Rio

“I thought he came out with some powerful statements. He is the epitome of a professional golfer and I look forward to working with Jaco and the others in our South African team in Brazil. In my role, I hope to be able to help them in any way, either with their swing, or any problems which might arise, but basically to be there to encourage them as their captain to play well.”

Unlike many of the golfers competing in Rio, competing in Brazil is nothing new to Player. He has been there “many times’ and won the Brazilian Open twice in 1972 and 1974. He also, for good measure, broke 60 with a record score of 59 in the second round of the event at Gavea Golf and Country Club in Rio on November 29, 1974.

“I am the only man who has broken 60 in a national championship,” he said.

After hosting his annual Invitational event at Wentworth last month, Player flew to the city of his birth for a grand banquet and parade in Johannesburg. He took part in the street parade proudly wearing the green and gold colours of South Africa.

No-one would have radiated more pride than the golf Team Leader. If drive, determination and willpower alone could ensure that the Olympic golf competitions are successful, then Player would be  in the vanguard. South Africa have their Black Knight. Now it is up to the golfers to deliver.

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Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, delivered a brilliant third round 65 to take a one-shot lead over Stenson, the reigning Open champion, in front of large and enthusiastic crowds in the Rio sunshine, many of whom might have been unfamiliar with the high quality of golf served up by the leading players.

Rose tees off last tomorrow standing at 201, 12-under-par, with Stenson’s hard-working 68 earning his second place total of 202. Fraser, who opened the competition with a course record 63 on Thursday, dug in hard to shoot a round of 72 for third place on 204. The highly motivated trio all have the glint of gold in their eye going into the home stretch of an absorbing Olympic contest.

Once again, Stenson is in contention when the big prizes are handed out. The Swede goes into the last round in second place, one stroke behind another major champion in Great Britain’s Rose, with Australian Fraser close behind.

However, the race for the gold, silver and bronze could run well beyond the final group. Major champions Bubba Watson of the United States (207) and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (208) will be chasing a low score to post a clubhouse target to test the leaders as the quest for gold intensifies.

Rose, who bagged eagles at the third and fifth holes to soar to the top of the leaderboard, admitted it “felt great” to be in the gold medal position going into the final round.

He added: “Obviously I felt like today was an important day.  There were a lot of players in contention after yesterday and I felt like today could be a day to separate or at least keep some momentum and not give myself too much work to do tomorrow.  Obviously, this tournament has been very, very special and very, very different for all of us.”

Saturday is traditionally ‘moving day’ and that was very much in evidence in Rio. Rickie Fowler of the United States set the tone earlier in the day with a seven-under-par 64, the second lowest of the week, to climb 36 places into a tie for 14th on 210. Another low score could earn Fowler a tilt at the minor medals while his compatriot, Watson, is very much in the shake-up after a second successive 67.

Harrington matched Watson’s 67 to sit on the coat-tails of the leaders on 208 while a 66 put Finland’s Mikko Ilonen into the mix, also on 208.

Stenson, who admitted that his busy summer of contending for majors had tested his mental reserves of energy, is being kept company in the medal hunt by his fellow Swede, David Lingmerth, whose 68 for 207 propelled him ten places up the leaderboard and into the penultimate group alongside Watson and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo (68-207).

Stenson insisted he is fully focused on winning the gold medal and commented: “In my mind, we’re still going for one thing – gold.  Even though the consolation prizes might be better here than some other events in a way, it’s still the No. 1 spot that I’m looking for and I’m going to try my hardest to make that happen.  It’s been a long and tiring stretch for me the last month, so I’m just going to try and squeeze whatever I have left in the tank for the final 18 holes.”

QUOTES OF THE DAY

Justin Rose 201 (67, 69, 65): “It’s more like a Ryder Cup than a major, but I would say it’s more unique than either of those two.  I couldn’t pigeonhole it into either category to be honest with you, and that’s been my whole approach to the Olympic Games is that you can’t compare it to anything else.

“I think it’s probably lived up to my expectations. I feel like the crowd have been a lot of fun to play in front of.  There’s been a lot of goodwill for all of the players from all different nationalities, but at the same time you have your pockets of fans that are really cheering for you.  Yeah, it’s been a fun crowd to be a part of.”

Henrik Stenson 202 (66, 68, 68): “It’s been motivating to be pushed on by some of my countrymen and women from other sports.  I’ve seen quite a lot of the handballers out there and some of the other Swedish athletes.  When you’ve got someone from your national team and another sport out there watching you play, of course you want to perform well.  That’s been good, good support.  I think it’s been decent crowds out there and good atmosphere.  Of course there’s quite a few fans that are new to golf and all the rest of it.  But all in all, I think that’s been very good.”

Marcus Fraser 204 (63, 69, 72): (on how many people have reached out to him from Australia) “A heap of people to be honest.  It’s been overwhelming.  Social media has been going into meltdown on the phone.  I haven’t got very many followers as it is, but I think I’ve picked up about an extra 400 this week (laughs).  I might hang around next week in Rio and keep going, it’s great. “

Bubba Watson 207 (73, 67, 67): “I’ve been treating this different than any other tournament.  I mean, this is the Olympics.  This is the greatest sporting event that you can ever be associated with.  Look at these athletes that are here; this is every sportsman in the world’s dream to be here, and now that golf is in here, I’m a kid in a candy store.  And I’m not saying that because I own a candy store. But this is a dream of a lifetime.”

Emiliano Grillo 207 (70, 69, 68): (on thinking about winning a medal) “Oh, yeah, of course.  I’ve been thinking since we knew that golf was going to be in the Olympics.  It’s been a nice week.  It’s been an unbelievable experience, and I honestly cannot wait to get it done tomorrow.”

David Lingmerth 207 (69, 70, 68):  “It’s a pretty cool experience here, especially being the first ones back for golf here.  It was a really cool feeling Thursday morning to get to tee off.  I had an earlier tee time than Henrik, so I was the first Swede to tee off in the Olympic tournament here.  It was something I thought of that I feel is pretty special.  It’s been a great week, just the atmosphere around here, the village, and out on the golf course, as well, it’s been cool.”

Padraig Harrington 208 (70, 71, 67): “Look, we’re all trying to win the gold.  Second and third are great when you get them, but we’re all trying to win the gold, no doubt about it.  As I said before, every week, 156 guys tee it up, you have one winner and 155 losers.  This week, 60 guys have teed it up and we’re all Olympians, we’re all winners.  Everybody will walk away from this feeling like they have achieved something this week.”

Matt Kuchar 208 (69, 70, 69): “I guess it’s yet to be seen until this thing is wrapped up how it’s looked at.  But from fan support from other athletes that I’ve run across, everybody is kind of excited that we’re here. I think it’s awesome. I think the further golf goes in the Olympics, the more times it’s played, I think the more support it will get and the more excitement guys will have.  I think the opportunity to play for your country, whether it’s a team of two, a team of four, whatever you can do, this has been just such a great experience and it’s just going to continue to grow and grow and grow.”

Rickie Fowler 210 (75, 71, 64): “It’s definitely a different vibe at the Olympics, and having other athletes come out and watch and being able to go watch other athletes compete, it’s a special, special week, and something I’m going to remember forever.”

Jaco Van Zyl 215 (71, 74, 70): (on making a hole-in-one on the 8th hole) “The pin was cut back left just over that trap there, and I just absolutely pured a 7‑iron, and it looked in the moment it came off the face. I hit it to about three inches there on the same hole in the first round – and I chatted to my caddie and I said, ‘there’s something special going in the Olympics’, and lo and behold, two rounds later, we managed to hole in one.”

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf Olympic Coach Rankings visit http://eur.pe/OlympicPGAPros

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When the Irishman accepts a challenge, the commitment is total. No half measures. No cutting corners. A forensic examination or nothing. So when the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCL) approached him about acting as Team Leader for his country’s golfers at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, McGinley was unswerving in his determination to assist the Irish cause.

He is equally steadfast in his belief that the sport of golf not only deserves its place in the Olympic movement again, it has every right to be there. Even the disappointment of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry’s decisions not to compete in Rio have failed to diminish his enthusiasm for the impending trip to South America.

“Of course there is disappointment that golf is not going to showcase a number of the premier players at the Olympics,” he admitted. “However, I still believe implicitly that it is going to be a great event with a lot of very high quality players taking part. We are there, and we’re relevant.

“I absolutely refuse to see the small picture when it comes to golf in the Olympics. There is a massive opportunity for the sport and its players. I am fully energised by its return to the Olympic Games. I feel it’s really important for the the game that we embrace it and that the sport puts on a great show.”

McGinley made have lost a sprinkling of stardust by the absence of McIlroy and Lowry from the Irish roster, but the 49-year-old Dubliner is excited to be fulfilling the role of Team Leader for a talented trio led by Padraig Harrington, the up-and-coming Seamus Power and the precociously talented amateur Leona Maguire and professional Stephanie Meadow in the women’s competition.

“We shouldn’t be reluctant to embrace new horizons,” he continued. “It is easy to dismiss golf as an Olympic sport and at the same time belittle the value of winning a gold medal compared to winning a major. To do so leaves one open to being accused of insularity, so let’s look at the big picture and broaden our horizons and views.

“Professional golf at the elite level camouflages the immense challenges faced by those at grassroots and amateur levels. We are now being offered the opportunity to showcase golf at the biggest, most-watched sporting event in the world. Let’s grasp it.”

Whereas McGinley adopted a highly scientific approach to his Ryder Cup captaincy at Gleneagles two years ago, he is more laid back – although no less professional – in his preparation for the role as Irish golf’s Team Leader.

He explained: “The OCL members know about the Olympics but they didn’t necessarily know too much about golf and golfers. I think they saw me as a conduit between them and the golfers; someone who knows what golfers need and how they think.

“I had no hesitation in accepting the role. The offer came just three months after the Ryder Cup and I had no misgivings. I wanted to do it, and I wanted to leave a legacy for Ireland’s future golf participation in the Olympics.

“I talked a lot in the Ryder Cup about enhancing the successfull European template as I handed over to future captains,  and I view this role in much the same way. I hope to create a template which leaves a legacy to help the national bodies in future years, by helping to integrate golf into being an Olympic sport from an Irish perspective.”

From being a master tactician at Gleneagles, McGinley is content to downsize that element of the job during the Olympic Games at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course in Rio.

“I see myself more as a facilitator,” he said. “My wish is to help the players get to Rio, play their event and return home in a seamless fashion. There are so many more things going on at the Olympics – accreditation, security, drug testing – all sorts of new red tape golers might not be familiar with. The drug policy , for example, is different and very complex and we want to make sure that we fully understand and comprehend Olympic policy.. The Irish Olympic Committee have given me a lot of guidance on that issue.”

Never one to miss a trick McGinley visited Brazil for the official Test Event at the Olympic course in March. He absorbed information like a sponge, all designed to assist his charges when they arrive for the competition.

“I had never been to Brazil and I had only experienced the Olympics in London as a fan,” he said. “I wanted to know what to expect. I was with the Olympic Council of Ireland so I learned a lot from them about the Olympic Village and how things work. I wanted to know how far the course is from the transport and accommodation links and to establish what sort of examination paper the course would be. It was a useful recce, on course and off.”

McGinley will be reunited with Harrington, his co-winner of the World Cup of Golf in 1997 and a close Ryder Cup colleague and friend. That news comes as considerable compensation for the loss of McIlroy.

“He’s a great addition to the team, not just as a golfer but for the Irish athletes in other sports. Padraig is a massively popular sportsman in Ireland and he will be around other athletes, attending other events and being with them in the Village. I know he is going to embrace not just the golf but the whole two weeks and soak it in.

“Seamus is a strong up-and-coming player and he will benefit as well from being around Padraig. He’s very energised. I’ve spent time getting to know Leona and it will be something new and exciting to be involved in the women’s competition as well. Leona is unique in so far as she is one of three amatures who have qualified to respresent her country at golf in Olympics.”

McGinley understands the ‘pure sporting theatre’ of the Olympics, and adheres to the Olympics ideals.

“A gold medal is important – but participating even more so. My wish is that the golfers will go out and represent their country, their people and their sport in a manner that will help grow the game for future generations.”

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf Olympic Coach Rankings visit http://eur.pe/OlympicPGAPros

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As a new era dawned for the sport amid the colossal carnival which represents sport’s greatest show on earth – putting a huge smile on the face of golf – it was 38-year-old Fraser from Melbourne who took command by firing an eight-under-par 63 to grab the first round lead.

The bounce in Fraser’s step was unmistakable as he laughed, “We were just saying: ‘I’ve got the Olympic record’.  That’s pretty cool, and hopefully that lasts all week.”

Fraser claimed nine birdies over the purpose-built Olympic course at Reserva de Marapendi to open up a three-stroke lead over Open champion Henrik Stenson and Canadian Graham DeLaet as the 60 newest and proudest Olympic athletes set the tone for a potentially epic few days’ play in Rio.

Fittingly, it was a 44-year-old Brazilian, Adilson da Silva, who was handed the honour of striking the first Olympic golf shot in the modern era at 7.30am, a time when most of the swimmers, gymnasts, boxers and beach volleyball heroes were tucked up in the Olympic Village.

It was also appropriate that the first three-ball of the Olympic competition contained DeLaet, whose countryman, George Lyon, was the last person to capture a precious gold medal in the dying embers of golf’s last flirtation with the Olympics 112 years previously.

DeLaet was aware of the Canadian connection as he flexed his competitive muscles with an outstanding round of 66, five-under-par and observed: “We said as we were walking off the first tee that this is pretty cool – the first time in over a hundred years – and we’re the lead group.  It was nice.”

As the day unfolded, and more new Olympians were established with every passing tee time, it was clear that golf was savouring its return to Olympic prominence. The quality of the play reflected that.

Rose enjoyed the feeling of recording the first hole-in-one of the new Olympic era, as his seven iron from 189 yards disappeared into the hole at the fourth.

“Definitely one of those icing on the cake moments, when you’re the first to do anything, no one can ever take that away from you, whatever it is,” said Rose, who is tied for fourth at four under par.  “That was definitely a cool moment.”

DeLaet admitted he was inspired by meeting the Canadian women who won the first bronze in Rugby Sevens. He said: “We went to the Canada House on Tuesday night and the Rugby Sevens girls were with us on the bus going over there, and they had their Bronze Medals when they got there.

“You know, we got to hold it.  We took a picture with the girls and that’s when it really kind of became real to me how amazing it would be to get that chunk of medal.  Obviously gold would be incredible, but I think bringing home anything would be really, really special.  I know that countries always count medals, so to be able to add to what Canada can rack up would be pretty awesome.”

Stenson, who won his first major at Royal Troon last month, racked up six birdies and one bogey in his 66 to join DeLaet in second spot, with Justin Rose of Great Britain among a group of five players on 67, four under par.

He admitted that confidence is still high after his Open win and said: “Hopefully confidence doesn’t wear off that easily, but more than anything, I’m just focusing on my game and what I need to do, and I feel like I’ve got pretty good control over most areas of my game, what I need to focus on. It was all about trying to get some energy back.  Days like these are tiring, playing in these conditions.”

Quotes of the day:

Marcus Fraser 63 (-8): “I think this is probably one of the best rounds of golf I’ve ever played, given the circumstances, I was quite edgy and a bit jumpy on the first tee, because it’s such a big occasion to be here at the Olympics.  To manage that and go on to play the way I did is really pleasing and a big confidence boost.

“Tapping in on the 18th, when the three-footer went in, I looked down there, and grabbed my ball out of the hole. It’s something I’ll never forget, because it’s pretty special to be able to shoot that score in the first round that golf is back in the Olympics.”

Graham DeLaet 66 (-5): “I was a little bit nervous actually.  You know, we do this for a living week‑in, week‑out, but there was something different about that first tee shot today.  It was a different announcement for us, and it was just a really cool feeling.

“I was playing with a Brazilian (Adilson da Silva) and that was neat.  We had a lot of people out there, especially for 7.30 in the morning – more than I anticipated.  It was a lot of fun.  We said as we were walking off the first tee; ‘this is pretty cool, first time in over a hundred years, and we’re kind of the lead group’.  It was nice.

Gregory Bourdy 67 (-4): “It’s an amazing experience to be here, playing an Olympic Games, It was really one of my biggest goals for the last few years to be here and to perform, to play well.  I’m very happy to start my Olympics with a score of four under. I think it’s already a special atmosphere, because usually, as I said, we play individually and we are not listening too much to French cheering ‘Allez les Bleus’!”

Nicolas Colsaerts 68 (-3): It would mean a lot on a personal point of view and also a national point of view.  It would be a dream come true.  It’s not the first time golf is here, but it will pretty much feel like it, in the modern era, anyway.  I feel honored to be here.  I really feel proud to be on that list of players that have supported the event.”

Matt Kuchar 69 (-2): “The nerves don’t get me in very many places.  Here it was a little different.  Teeing off in particular. I think I was the first American to tee off today and to hear my name announced as an Olympian (meant) there were a few more butterflies than I anticipated on the first tee.”

Matteo Manassero 69 (-2): “When I hit the first tee shot, I thought: ‘okay, I’m officially an Olympic athlete’ and that was a good feeling.  We (have been) trying our best to get golf to look as great as it is in the biggest sports stage there is.  It’s a good responsibility, and also we’re having a lot of fun and it’s great to be here.”

Padraig Harrington 70 (-1): “I would say I was more nervous on the first tee ‑ as much as I would have been when I played my first major.  It was very exciting.  I said it to the guys walking off, now we are Olympians and nobody can take that away from us.  When you think about it, most weeks, you have 156 guys playing, 155 losers. This week, you have 60 guys playing, and we are all winners.”

Adilson da Silva 72 (+1): “Before I teed off, my head was everywhere….just don’t goof this!  But just towards the end, I managed to calm myself down and focus to what I wanted to do.  And I have been hitting my driver well, so I think I committed to the shot and I hit a nice one there.”

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For two decades, Emma Villacieros campaigned vigorously for golf’s return as an Olympic sport. In typically determined fashion, she never took no for an answer and led a resolute and unwavering campaign as the then President of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation to make good her pledge.

Now well into her 85th year, Villacieros is unable to make the journey from Spain to Brazil to witness first-hand the fruits of her labour, but her successor as President, Gonzaga Escauriaza, admits that the formidable lady in question deserves to be lauded.

“It was Emma who set the ball rolling,” he said. “She was very determined to take golf back into the Olympic Games. She formed an alliance with Claude Cartier of the French Federation back in the 1990s and from the outset she was very tenacious. She never relented in her quest and it was that strong-minded tenacity which kept the issue alive, even at times when it seemed to be dead.”

Villacieros also had a close affiliation with another powerful Spaniard, Juan Antonio Samaranch, the President of the International Olympic Committee from 1980 to 2001. She lobbied hard for golf to be restored to the Olympic movement and used her powers of persuasion to get Samaranch on board.

Escaurazia, who succeeded Villacieros as President in 2008 following a 20-year spell in which she sat at the top table of Spanish golf, continued: “She never relented and started talking to the different Tours, The R&A and the USGA at every available opportunity. At every World Amateur Team Championship she would raise the subject again and again and again.

“Emma and Claude convinced the USGA and The R&A of the possibilities and what happened next was they talked to the different Tours to get the calendars sorted. We knew the IOC wanted professionals from the beginning and then Samaranch took a strong role in helping us, which led to the creation of the IGF to lead the route back into the Olympics.”

Escauriaza believes that his predecessor’s unwavering commitment came from a simple philosophy. He said: “Spain is quite a sports-oriented country but golf was considered very elitist at that time. The only way to bring the game to everybody in Spain was through the Olympic Games.

“People consider a sport in the Olympics as a sport for everybody. We have coverage this month on terrestrial television as opposed to pay TV. Everybody can see the golf, not just people who pay money for the privilege. All Spaniards can watch the game at the highest level and hopefully take an interest. Of course, it is very good publicity to promote the game and broaden horizons.”

The Real Federacion Espanola de Golf, to give the Federation its native language title, has appointed two greats of Spanish golf as Team Leaders in Rio – Ryder Cup star Manuel Pinero and Marta Figuerar-Dotti, both of whom won a clutch of titles on the men’s and women’s Tours.

“We are excited to have Manuel and Marta as part of the delegation, and we know the players are also thrilled to be playing” added Escaurazia. “Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello are great ambassadors for our country in the men’s game and Azahara Munoz and Carlota Ciganda on the women’s Tours. Maybe they have not won majors yet, but what a prize an Olympic Gold would be.”

No-one would feel a greater sense of pride, should that occur, than Emma Villacieros.

Her successor concluded: “She will be watching very proudly. She knows she has played a part in golf coming back into the Olympic Games. It needed somebody to grab hold of the issue and take it forward. There was no-one better than Emma.”

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf Olympic Coach Rankings visit http://eur.pe/OlympicPGAPros

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Right now, the Confederation of Brazilian Golf (CBG) can lay claim to 129 courses and just under 10,000 registered golfers. Compared to Scotland, the Home of Golf, with its population of five million people (less than Rio de Janeiro) and 550 courses, it is obvious that golf as a sport for the masses in Brazil is still almost invisible.

But for how much longer? Paulo Pacheco is the President of the CBG and a passionate believer in the good that the Olympic Games will bring to the sport on its return after a 112-year absence at Reserva de Marapendi in Rio on Thursday.

“We want to fire the public’s imagination here in Brazil for golf,” he said. “We have been working incredibly hard for this moment since 2009, when we knew that Brazil would host the Olympic Games and that golf would be back in the programme. This is huge for Brazil and for golf all around the world.”

Already Pacheco, a successful businessman, has experienced the thrill of the world’s biggest sporting event, carrying the Olympic torch last weekend through the town of Nova Frisburgo near Rio, where he was born 70 years ago next month. Always a keen sportsman, he twice crossed the Atlantic on his own yachts but in recent years has been deeply involved in golf administration.

During his current tenure as President of the CBG, he started the social inclusion programme, Golf for Life, partially supported by The R&A, aimed at reaching 60,000 children in public and private schools around Brazil.

However, he lets out a deep sigh when faced with the two words, ‘legacy’ and ‘responsibility’. He knows that the CBG carries a heavy weight of expectation when it comes down to the challenges ahead, and the desire to bring golf to the people of Brazil.

He stated unequivocally: “The objective – our target – is that ten years from now, Brazil will be the biggest golfing force in South America. We have over 200 million people and only 20,000 play golf. That number is virtually nothing, so we have to use the Olympic Games to ensure that people who have never had any contact with golf get very excited by the opportunity to play. I think ten years from now, Brazil will show how the Olympic Games has helped golf in Brazil.

“We have to expand the availability of golf and provide more public courses, even nine hole courses, in order to get more players. I am sure people who never had any contact with golf are very excited right now and we need to build on this.

“In six months or one year, people will begin to realise what a huge event this has been – the first time in South America – and how important it is for the sport. Sometimes it just takes time for people to realise this.”

The CBG has invested time and resource into bringing SNAG (Starting New At Golf) into the school curriculum, as part of the Golf for Life programme, which has helped to train over 300 gym teachers as coaches working inside the schools. Currently there are around 60,000 youngsters now playing a simplistic form of the game at a very basic level.

Pacheco added: “It’s very important because they (the coaches) are preparing the kids and they have the knowledge and skills about how to teach beginners. We are using money to import plastic clubs to use inside the school and you get the boys and girls to play with the normal clubs after that.

“But most important of all is not only to play but to talk about golf with the family, inside the community. In the past, nobody talked about golf in Brazil. Now you have people in schools talking about golf and that is the future – to communicate about golf and talk about it through word of mouth. The message will spread the more people talk about the sport.”

The CBG programmes involve rich and poor; public school and private school. Pacheco believes this is the right way forward and continued: “In Brazil, 90% of the kids are from poor backgrounds, but our programmes don’t differentiate. Rich and poor play with the same clubs on the same piece of land and hit the same shots. When I take a photo, all the smiles are the same. No difference.

“Once, you had to be a club member to play golf but not any more thanks to the new Olympic course. We will try to manage the golf course like a school for golf and show people that golf is sustainable. The idea is to manage a public facility and make it work. New players and their families can come and play.”

So Brazilians will be exposed to golf – many for the first time – through the men’s and women’s competitions over the next few weeks?

“Exactly,” he said. “That’s the point.  We have 70 cameras at the golf course. It is the first time you have a huge operation for golf and it’s very exciting. All the holes are covered and afterwards we will continue to work together with the IGF and The R&A and others to provide a legacy and give back to the golf. A lot of people are involved in the investment in golf in Brazil. It is a massive opportunity.”

For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf Olympic Coach Rankings visit http://eur.pe/OlympicPGAPros

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