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Lydia Ko has been the most consistent Olympic golfer of the last 120 years.
That is undeniably true — although the reason it is undeniably true is because golf didn’t exist at the Olympics after the 1904 edition until it was reintroduced in 2016. In Rio that year, Ko won the silver medal. Five years later, she won the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Now, she sits three back of the lead at the halfway point of the women’s golf competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics after shooting a 5-under 67 in the second round, the fourth-best round of the day. The New Zealander trails Morgane Metraux of Switzerland by three and Ruoning Yin of China by two.
The 67 came one day after a bumpy 72 had her outside the top 10. Thursday’s round was anything but bumpy. Ko went out in 32 and came home in 35 with six birdies and just one bogey on the final hole.
“Today I playing really solid … I think being consistent is really important around here, especially off the tee,” said Ko. “A little bit of a sloppy finish, I would say … but, obviously, nice to have a good round under my belt and be if a good position for the next two days.”
Ko is now in good position for a couple of things. The first is a potential gold medal. The second is entrance into the LPGA Hall of Fame, which is arguably the most exclusive in all of sports. Instead of being voted on by media members, the LPGA Hall of Fame has a points requirement to hit.
With 20 LPGA Tour wins, two majors and a host of other achievements, Ko has accumulated 26 of the 27 points needed to get in. A few years ago, it was decided that a gold medal is worth one point.
“I think there are so many things I need to focus [on], like right in front of me, which has been good,” said Ko. “Because then that has been the lesson, in my mind. It’s really cool that if I did win the gold, I could get in the Hall of Fame, and it would stop all these questions.
“I feel like if it’s going to happen, whether it’s in Paris or in Florida or in Scotland, it’s going to happen,” she continued. “And I’m just excited that I have this opportunity. If I get to do it here, it would be a pretty cool way to get it done. But I’m playing alongside 59 other of the top qualified players here, and there’s 36 holes for me to go.”
With only 34 (!!) women in the LPGA Hall of Fame, Ko can achieve two extraordinary feats this weekend. She can become just the 35th golfer in the LPGA Hall of Fame (an absurd number), but she can also remain the only golfer — male or female — to medal at all three Olympics since it returned in 2016.
Korda’s roller coaster
Nelly Korda was 3 over through seven holes. Then, she was 6 under through 33 holes. Now, after a full 36, she’s somehow 2 under and six back of the lead.
Korda’s finish was the wildest of Round 2. She birdied No. 15 to get to 6 under and into solo third place. Then, she made a quad at the par-3 16th, a bogey at the par-4 17th and finally finished it off with another birdie at the par-5 18th to shoot a 2-under 70 that probably felt both five better and five worse than that at different times throughout her round.
Korda is T12 alongside fellow American Rose Zhang after two rounds. The third representative from the United States, Lilia Vu shot a 1-over 73 to fall to T14. All three are in a great position to potentially medal this weekend.
Metraux goes bonkers
Have you ever made eight 3s in nine holes? Even on a par 3 course? How about putt-putt? Morgane Metraux did it on the front nine at Le Golf National at the Olympics.
She started with six straight, mixed in a 4 and then closed with two more. Totally insane stuff.
“I didn’t know the golf course until Monday,” she explained. “So it’s all very new for me. But it’s simple in a way that you know that you just have to hit fairways and greens here. If you don’t, it’s going to be very difficult. I like it because it’s just in such good conditions, and it’s just a great course. If you hit good shots, you’re going to be rewarded and vice versa. I really like that about courses.”
It’s really … not that hard of a course.
Boutier drops off the pace
Thursday’s leader, French golfer Celine Boutier, shot a 4-over 76 in the second round to drop out of the top five. After a building a five-shot lead on all but one player in the first round, giving most of them back was a big disappointment in Round 2. Her big trouble came on the back nine, where she played one three-hole stretch double-bogey-double and shot 41 on that side.
“Emotionally, it was fine,” she said about leading in her home country. “Definitely feel like I left a few shots out there. Had a rough patch in the back and didn’t really make as many birdie putts as I did yesterday. So definitely reflected in the score.”
Still, Boutier is T6 and in a great spot to potentially medal this weekend.
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