Nelly Korda hits her tee shot on Saturday on the 8th hole at Kasumigaseki Country Club.
Getty Images
In a tense, weather-interrupted final round at Kasumigaseki Country Club, Nelly Korda captured the gold medal in the women’s Olympic golf competition.
Korda’s four-day total of 17-under par put her one shot clear of Mone Inami of host nation Japan, who grabbed the silver in a playoff over bronze-medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand.
Korda’s win gave the United States a golden sweep in the 2020 Games, coming on the heels of Xander Schauffele’s victory in the men’s event last Sunday.
It also added sparkle to already glittery season for the 23-year-old Korda, who has won three LPGA titles in 2021, including a major.
But it didn’t come easy.
It was nearing 1 a.m. in her home state of Florida when Korda’s clinching par-putt dropped on 18, capping a draining, drawn-out day that began earlier than originally intended. Concerned that Typhoon Mirinae might wash out the final round, event organizers pushed starting times forward and switched to a split-tee format in order to get the most out of the calm before the storm.
For Korda, who entered the final round with a three shot lead, weather wasn’t the only worry. After an uninspired start, she righted herself to fight off hard-charging challenges from a spate of contenders, including Ko, Inami and upstart Aditi Ashok of India, who was vying to become the first female gold medalist from her country in any sport.
Korda’s pursuit of gold was also interrupted by a 45-minute weather delay, which began right after she hit her tee shot on the 17th hole. Clinging to a one-shot lead, Korda soon found herself in a tie with Inami, who birdied 17. On the closing hole, though, Inami, playing one group ahead of Korda, left her approach in the bunker and made bogey.
When Korda reached the long par-4 finisher in regulation, she needed only two putts for the clincher. She cozied up her first from roughly 20 feat, then tapped in for the win and was embraced by her older sister and fellow Olympian, Jessica, who was waiting by the 18th green.
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Spanish