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As the youngest ever No. 1 in either men’s or women’s golf, Lydia Ko’s resume is full of “firsts.” But the New Zealander would love to live up to the early promise that catapulted her to the top of the rankings at the age of 17 by making history with a full set of Olympic medals.
Ko won silver as a 19-year-old in 2016 in Rio, where the sport returned to the program after a 112-year absence, and bronze as a 24-year-old in Tokyo last time out. Now back as a 27-year-old, the Seoul-born Ko is the clear favorite going into Saturday’s final round.
With a 68 she moved to nine under par and into a tie for the lead with Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux, who once again belied her 137th place in the world rankings with a 71. There is a two-stroke gap to American Rose Zhang (67), herself a teenage phenomenon, and Japan’s Miyu Yamashita (67).
With another former world number one, Atthaya Thitikul, in fifth place on six under par and current world number one Nelly Korda two shots further back, along with Parisian Celine Boutier, it is a high-quality ranking that could produce as many fireworks as last weekend’s men’s final, which saw Scottie Scheffler overtake England’s Tommy Fleetwood.
“I want to be the one who determines my destiny”
Ko draws her motivation from a documentary she saw here in Paris about gymnast Simone Biles.
It’s called Rising and I found it so inspiring,” Ko said. “As an outsider, we never know what the person is going through. I think that her being so vulnerable inspires a lot of people and it inspired me.
“I liked a few of the quotes so much that I wrote them down in my yardage book. The one that stuck with me the most is, ‘I get to write my own ending.’ Sometimes we get talked into things that we can’t control, and if I can do a good job with the things that I can control, you know, the rest is out of my control.
“I’ve always said that I want to be the one who determines my destiny and it’s very inspiring to hear literally the greatest gymnast of all time, and maybe one of the greatest athletes of all time, say that in her story.”
Team GB will not be in the medals despite both Georgia Hall and Charley Hull posting under-par rounds on Friday. Hall’s 71 moved her to three-over and into a tie for 27th, while Hull, the world number 11, shot a 69 to move to five-over and into a tie for 36th in the women’s 60-man field.
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