Guyancourt. After two previous podiums, New Zealand golfer Lydia Coe won her long-awaited Olympic gold at the Paris 2024 Games this Saturday, where Colombia’s Maria Jose Uribe ended her career with a tenth-place finish.
Ko, who won a silver medal at Rio 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020, climbed to gold this Saturday with a final card of 71 strokes, one under par, and an overall score of 278 (-10).
At 27, the New Zealander has not left the podium in the three editions of Olympic golf held since the sport’s reintroduction to the program after 112 years.
A winner of 20 LPGA Tour events, including two Grand Slams, Ko is the only player to lead a large group of competitors in the final round.
After dominating the classification, Koh fought back on the final holes and held his nerve to complete the win to the applause of the crowd at the Golf National de Guyancourt (about 30 kilometers from Paris).
Germany’s Esther Henselid (-8) won the silver and China’s Lin Xiu (-7) the bronze.
Colombian Uribe (-4), who started the final round in sixth place, shared tenth place in an emotional farewell to golf.
A bogey and a double-bogey on his first holes knocked Uribe out of contention for the medals, but he later recovered to make a stunning eagle on the final hole of his career, after which he embraced his rivals and wept.
Uribe, 34, posted a final card total of 284 (-4) by 73 strokes (+1).
Spanish Asahara Munoz finished 13th with 285 strokes (-3) and Mexican Gabby Lopez 29th with 290 (+2).
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