ITALY WINS GOLD; ITS FIRST MEDAL IN 32 WORLD AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

WATC PRESS RELEASES

Italy’s 72-hole hole score of 31-under-par 541 was one stroke better than silver-medal winning Sweden and four better than the bronze medal winners from the USA.

In a tightly contested back nine, Italy and Sweden gained a slight separation from the field, but the par-5 14th hole proved to be pivotal because of the play of Florioli and Bovari.

Florioli was the first Italian player out and holed a chip shot on the 14th and Bovari followed with an eagle for a three-stroke gain on Sweden.

“I was feeling that I was going to make a birdie on that chip, and I made it,” said Florioli, a 17-year-old from Bergamo. “I played the last four holes in par, par, par, par and that is a great final on this golf course.”

Bovari, a college golfer at the University of Virginia, reached the 569-yard 14th with a 3-wood that stopped on the green, 70 feet from the hole.

“Sometimes it happens,” Bovari said of his eagle putt. “Today was one of those days. It went in the dead middle of the cup. I didn’t have the strength in me to yell. I put my arms up to celebrate.”

Italy’s Filippo Celli, the low amateur in the 2022 Open Championship, shot a non-counting 70.

“Florioli played so well on the back nine with a fantastic attitude,” said Delpodio. “He was under pressure, but he was making it so easy. Bovari had two big putts on 13 and 14. To win such a tournament there must be some magic. You cannot pre-plan everything. There must be some moments when you understand everything is coming together. I realized on 14 that it was our moment. I was pretty sure it was going to end with a victory.”

Italy is one of nine nations to participate in all 32 World Amateur Team Championships since 1958. Their previous best finishes were a tie for fourth in 2004 and 2008.

“I thought about playing my best golf and I think I did,” said Florioli. “I shot 6 under bogey-free in the last round and I am proud of it. It is a memory forever because it is the first time for Italy in history. It’s a great feeling.”

Completing the top 10, Norway was fourth, its best-ever finish, Spain was fifth, France was sixth, Japan, the 18- and 36-hole leader was seventh, Austria and Wales shared eighth and Finland was 10th.

Italy receives custody of the Eisenhower Trophy until the next World Amateur Team Championship in Dubai, UAE, in October of 2023.

Although there is no official recognition, Sweden’s Tobias Jonsson was the low individual with a score of 17-under 269

Korda’s golden season continues as Japan’s Inami sees silver lining

SAITAMA, JAPAN - AUGUST 07: (L-R) Mone Inami of Team Japan celebrates with the silver medal, Nelly Korda of Team United States celebrates with the gold medal and Lydia Ko of Team New Zealand celebrates with the bronze medal at the Victory Ceremony after the final round of the WomenÕs Individual Stroke Play event on Day 18 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 7, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/IGF)

Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/IGF

August 07, 2021 05:14 AM

On a day of multiple twists and turns, it was the resiliency of American Nelly Korda that ultimately secured her place in history as an Olympic gold medalist.

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.

India’s Aditi Celebrated by Entire Nation after Finishing Fourth at Olympics

KAWAGOE, JAPAN - AUGUST 06: Aditi Ashok of Team India plays her shot from the 16th tee during the third round of the Women's Individual Stroke Play on day fourteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 06, 2021 in Kawagoe, Japan. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

August 07, 2021 05:14 AM

India’s Aditi Ashok agonisingly missed an historic medal in women’s golf at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Saturday as she was celebrated at home with tributes led by the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind.

The 23-year-old Aditi fought bravely throughout the final round at Kasumigaseki Country Club, shooting a closing 3-under 68 to finish one shot shy of a podium finish with her 15-under 269 aggregate.

American World No. 1 Nelly Korda took gold on 17-under 267 after a 69, with Mone Inami securing Japan’s first ever medal in golf by taking the silver after defeating New Zealand’s Lydia Ko in the first hole of a sudden-death playoff after both tied on 16-under.

All week, Aditi, who had her mother Maheshwari on caddying duties, was a picture of confidence and calm as she courageously stayed in the medal hunt throughout a thrilling final round and had a couple of birdie chances to join the playoff, only to agonisingly miss putts on the 17th and 18th holes.

Soon after play concluded, Indian Prime Minister 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.”

India’s President Ram Nath Kovind also posted a congratulatory tweet for the young Indian. “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.”

Aditi, the lone Indian on the LPGA Tour, was downcast after the final round after being so close to a medal.

“Yeah, 17 was perfect. I hit it exactly the speed I wanted, the line I wanted, I just - maybe I made too many (putts) through the four rounds, golfing gods were like, okay, we're not going to give her this one,” said Aditi, who led the Strokes Gained: Putting category with 13.01 strokes gained over the field throughout the week.

“I just tried my best, even the last hole, although it was really out of range, it was almost a long putt, but I still tried to give it a chance. I think I gave it my best attempt. I mean I wanted to hole it and I gave my best attempt, it's hard to force the issue when you're like 30 feet away.”

A uncharacteristic wayward driver cost her dearly as she hit only five fairways in the final round which stopped her from being more aggressive into the greens. “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. That was definitely the hardest part to make a score,” said Aditi, who picked up golf when she was five.

“The front nine I just hit one and I think the back nine I must have hit maybe a couple more, maybe three or four more. So that was bad today, kind of put me out of position so I couldn't get close to the flag. I tried my best to like hole the last few putts and just knowing because in a regular tournament whether you finish second or fourth it really doesn't matter, no one cares. But like at this event you need to be in the top 3. 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.”

India’s other representative, Diksha Dagar, finished T50 on 6-over 290. She said Aditi’s run was truly inspiring and will encourage young girls to pick up the sport. “It’s been a wonderful experience and I’ll keep working hard to improve,” she said. “Aditi had a very good week and I want to try and follow in her footsteps. This performance will certainly create more awareness for golf as not everybody in India knows about golf.”

Aditi hopes her medal run in Tokyo will put greater spotlight on the game at home, which by the reaction from the country’s leading politicians would have certainly made many sit up and take notice of the sport. “I think it's good, just even top 5 or top 10 at an Olympics is really good. Because you know that sport or that person has a medal chance. So just having more top finishes, even if it's not exactly a podium finish, will maybe bring eyes to the sport and more support, more kids pick up more, whatever, that helps grow the game,” Aditi said.

“Obviously when I started golf, I never dreamt of being or contending at the Olympics, golf wasn't even an Olympic sport. So sometimes you just pick it up and work hard and have fun every day and sometimes you get here.”

Indeed, Aditi Ashok has arrived at the highest level of women golf.

China’s Feng Falls Short of Medal at Olympics

KAWAGOE, JAPAN - AUGUST 07: Shanshan Feng of Team China plays her shot from the eighth tee during the final round of the Women's Individual Stroke Play on day fifteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 07, 2021 in Kawagoe, Japan. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

August 07, 2021 04:09 AM

China’s Shanshan Feng fell a few shots shy of winning an Olympic medal in golf for her country after signing off with a 4-under 67 in the women’s competition on Saturday.

The 10-time LPGA Tour winner, who won the bronze in Rio 2016, finished solo eighth on 11-under 273 at Kasumigaseki Country Club, some five strokes behind bronze medallist Lydia Ko of New Zealand who lost in a playoff to Japan’s Mone Inami after both tied on 16-under.

American World No. 1 Nelly Korda, the overnight leader, claimed the gold medal by one shot after closing with a 69 for a winning total of 17-under 267 while Feng’s countrywoman, Xiyu Lin enjoyed a top-10 finish by sharing ninth place after a final round 68.

“It was great. I think 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. I think I really came back and there's no regret because this is golf. In the Olympics, you have the best girls in the world playing and you just have to have four good days to be able to win a medal,” said Feng.

She opened with a disappointing 74 but bounced back like the champion she is with a 64 in the second round before adding a 68 on Friday to keep alive her hopes of earning a podium finish again. In the final round, she made five birdies against a lone bogey but she did not quite threaten the leaders in the groups behind her.

“The girls at the top, they deserve it. I'm very happy to see like some new faces, like some players who 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,” said the 32-year-old Feng.

She shrugged off talk of an impending retirement, saying she isn’t quite done yet competing at the highest level on the LPGA Tour. “I wouldn't say I'm retired yet,” the former World No. 1 said laughing. “I would like to play some more on the LPGA, just to give it like a conclusion.”

Lin, 25, hopes her top-10 at the Olympics will be the springboard to a maiden victory on the LPGA Tour. “I think there's a lot of positives,” said the two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour. “This week, there're so many things I did really, really well and the only thing that I think is missing is definitely the performance on the green. But in general, top-10 it's a big compliment for me.”

While there are no prizes for those who finish outside the top-3 at the Olympics, Lin is already looking forward to resuming her chase for success on the LPGA Tour and has her eye on Paris 2024. She said there was always expectations when representing her country and believes she will be better prepared for the next Olympics.

“I'm entering the tournament wishing to be able to get a medal. So that's a little extra pressure because we only have one start in every four years. In general I still had a great week. Getting into Tokyo really gave me lots of confidence because I would say two years ago, I wasn't even close to being on the team and then this year because of some really key performances, I ended up in this tournament. I think it gave me lots of confidence and obviously I will be looking forward to representing China again in Paris and looking forward to a break through on the LPGA Tour,” she said.

Japan’s Inami just wants to have fun in medal chase

SAITAMA, JAPAN - AUGUST 06: Mone Inami of Japan plays a tee shot on the 16th hole during the third round of the WomenÕs Individual Stroke Play event on Day 17 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 6, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/IGF)

By Chuah Choo Chiang August 06, 2021 06:38 AM

All week, Japan’s Mone Inami simply headed out to the first tee to “have fun” in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 women’s golf competition.

Come Saturday, the 22-year-old rising star gets a chance to win a first ever medal in the sport for host nation Japan at Kasumigaseki Country Club, some six days after Hideki Matsumaya came agonisingly close to a bronze medal in the men’s competition.

Inami, a seven-time winner on the Japan LPGA Tour, added a third round of 3-under 68 to her 70 and 65 in the previous two days to share third place with Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark, Australian Hannah Green and New Zealander Lydia Ko on 10-under 203.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States leads on 15-under in the race for gold, with India’s Aditi Ashok in solo second on 12-under with 18 holes remaining on Saturday. The final round tee times will begin from 6:30am to 8:23am (local Tokyo time), with officials sending players to the course an hour earlier than third-round play to get out in front of potential bad weather.

“For the past three days I've had a lot of fun and also at the same time I've been able to shoot low rounds, so I would like to continue that tomorrow and have a good time,” said Inami, who made five birdies and two bogeys including a dropped shot on the last hole.

“I had a lot of fun today. The only thing was on the final hole I misread the putt which caused a bogey. But otherwise I had a really good day.”

Inami hopes she can deliver a medal for Japan, saying Matsuyama wished the women’s team the best after he narrowly lost in a seven-man playoff for the bronze which was won by Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan.

“I spoke to him briefly on the day he was leaving Tokyo, I was actually arriving to the city, and he said that because he wasn't able to win the medal on the men's side, he wished us good luck,” said Inami.

Despite the weight of a golf-mad nation resting on her shoulders, there wasn’t any hint that Inami is feeling any pressure in trying to deliver a medal for the host nation.

“The Olympics itself is very fun. I love the atmosphere of the Olympics, the field is great. Not sure exactly which factor to point out which is leading to my feeling of having fun, but it's a very unique tournament, so I want to play with no regret. I think being nervous or being tight doesn't do you anything, so I just want to focus on having fun,” she said.

“I think what really was good for me today was that there wasn't anything that was very poor. Even when I mishit some of the tee shots I think the error was minimal and I was able to hit a lot of fairways. I managed to avoid a lot of rough.”

With a tight leaderboard, Inami is prepared for a close race to the podium, including being involved in a playoff which she holds a 3-0 playoff record on the domestic circuit. “I don't usually get nervous and it's the same for this event,” she said confidently. “It feels like a dream stage. It's actually really fun for me to contend, so I want to focus on that tomorrow."

Korda retains lead while Ashok continues to show grit and determination as her closest pursuer

SAITAMA, JAPAN - AUGUST 06: Nelly Korda of the United States plays a tee shot on the fifth hole during the third round of the WomenÕs Individual Stroke Play event on Day 17 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 6, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/IGF)

Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/IGF

August 06, 2021 04:57 AM

So, the long and short of the women’s Olympic golf competition heading into Saturday’s final round at Kasumigaseki Country Club is this: American Nelly Korda and Aditi Ashok of India.

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.”

News, Notes and 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.”