Olympics: Nomura finishes just short of medal, Park wins golf gold

Ko started the day seven shots off the lead but will go into Saturday’s final round tied for second with Gerina Piller of the United States of America on nine under par, two behind Park.

Going into the last hole, World No. 1 Lydia Ko needed a birdie to win the silver and that’s exactly what she did, pushing Shanshan Feng down to third place, sealing bronze.

For Nomura, the Olympic tournament and particularly her strong showing has only whetted her appetite for more, four years down the track.

South Korea had more Olympic qualifiers than any other country, with 4, and Park had said earlier in the week that they faced considerable pressure back in Seoul to bring home gold.

“I would definitely say golf deserves to be here, and I think the women have done a great job of not only supporting it but embracing it”, Baker-Finch said. Try and play some good golf, just stay patient but at the same time have fun.

The no-shows were widely criticised.

Former Hog Stacy Lewis was just inches away from a spot on the women’s golf medal stand for Team USA.

Unafraid of mosquitos, capybaras, crocodiles or caimans, a star-studded field of women golfers left no doubt about the values of medals over money in the Olympic golf tournament.

She missed her 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole and shot 66, finishing one shot out of the bronze.

When Park bogeyed the 10th after pulling her tee shot into the water as Feng birdied the 11th in the group ahead, the gap was down to just three shots heading into the toughest part of the course. Ko missed and Park made.

Hull’s team-mate Catriona Matthew carded a closing 70 to finish 29th, with Ireland’s Leona Maguire tied for 21st after a 69 and team-mate Stephanie Meadow 31st following a 72.

Meanwhile Ko, the 19-year-old New Zealander who has taken the golfing world by storm in three trophy-laden years as a professional, defied gusty, swirling winds at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course to blaze a trail through the elite women’s field and into serious medal contention. The Thai World Number Two was 12 over through 13 holes at the time.

“I feel extremely honoured and proud that I get to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games”, she told a media conference. “There was a little bit of confusion from me whether I can perform well this week or not, because I really haven’t performed well this year with the injury”.

“Normally you play and move on to the next week, but this is all you’ve got”.