If Friday — and, for that matter, last Sunday —– was any indication, we should be in for a must-watch finale at the Olympic women’s golf competition.
The storylines offer a little something for everyone. There is the player whose story everyone knows and the player who few knew before this week. There is the future of the women’s game and the one who is walking away. There is talent spread across an international leaderboard that presents dizzying possibilities.
And then, there’s Nelly Korda.
Nelly Korda has ups and downs — and history
Wherever she is at this moment, somewhere in her bubble, Korda must be shaking her head. Again. But, once again, she has a chance to make it all right.
Korda bogeyed two of her first three holes in the third round, including a confounding water ball from the fairway at No. 1. Then, after a birdie at the sixth, she holed out from 82 yards for birdie at the par-4 seventh. That seemed to right the ship as she birdied Nos. 9, 14 and 15 to get within two of the lead.
Thursday, she was cruising before making a quadruple bogey at the 16th and a bogey at the 17th. She was able to avoid the big blunder this time, but again three-putted for bogey on the penultimate hole. After failing to find the fairway at the par-5 18th and failing to make birdie, she posted a 2-under 70.
Korda, of course, is the reigning gold medalist. She’s the world No. 1 and a six-time winner this year. But, beyond that, keep this in mind: Jan. 28, 2024.
In the final round of the LPGA Drive On Championship, Lydia Ko walked off the 18th green with a three-shot lead and a bottle of champagne and 27 roses waiting. She was thisclose to earning her final point for LPGA Hall of Fame eligibility.
Korda had only two holes remaining — and went eagle-birdie to make up those three shots and force a playoff, which she won over Ko on the second hole (when Ko three-putted). That was the kickstart to her historic season.
Lydia Ko inspired by Simone Biles
The 27-year-old Ko is still waiting for that 27th point; a gold medal would give her that.
It would also complete the medal sweep as she won silver in the 2016 Rio Games and bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Ko has been reminded of all that since she arrived at Le Golf National last week to watch the men play and get in some prep work.
And, she’s ready for the moment. Ko said she deleted Instagram from her phone to avoid distractions and Thursday night watched Simone Biles’ documentary, “Simone Biles: Rising.” Ko was inspired to the point of writing down some quotes in her yardage book.
“I think one of the things she said is, ‘I get to write my own ending,’ Sometimes we get carried on about things that we can't control, and if I can do a good job of the things that I can control, you know, the rest is out of my hands,” Ko said.
“And I always say, like, I want to be the one that's determining my fate and my ending and how I end my career, my round — and that just sunk in with me a lot.”
It’s not lost on Ko that she can do that in emphatic fashion on Saturday.
“Yeah, it all goes to the way I would I imagine it or dream of it to be,” she said. “That would be the perfect quote, to kind of say that.”
How will the Olympic stories end?
Ko and Korda offer compelling headlines but three medals will be handed out which offers the potential for more dreams to come true.
Rose Zhang has won at every level and just about everything. A medal seems only fitting for the 21-year-old wunderkind. The American is tied for third with Japan’s Miyu Yamashita.
Then there is Mariajo Uribe. The 34-year-old Colombian has said this will be her final competitive start — a shame, considering the world is finally getting a chance to see her fiery demeanor. She’s alone in sixth place, two shots from the current podium position.
France’s Celine Boutier birdied her final three holes in the third round to get back to 4 under par. She’s three off the podium and, like Victor Perez a week ago, will have the home crowd to buoy her.
Not to be overlooked, is the woman who sits at the top. Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux wobbled but never fell far from the lead in the third round. A gutsy eagle at the last evened her with Ko. It will be fascinating to see how she — and everyone else — handles the pressure of trying to win a medal.