Lydia Ko Finally Gets Her Olympic Gold. It Puts Her Into The LPGA Hall Of Fame

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Lydia Ko finished her Olympic medal collection on Saturday with the most important, a gold medal that qualifies the 27-year-old Kiwi for the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Ko gained a five-shot lead on the back nine at Le Golf National when her nearest competitors all faltered, and she had to hold on until the end. With her advantage down to one, Ko converted a 7-foot birdie putt for a 1-under 71 and a two-shot triumph.

Lydia Ko Finally Gets Her Olympic Gold. It Puts Her Into The LPGA Hall Of Fame

Lydia earned the silver medal in Rio de Janeiro and bronze in Tokyo. The lost one proved to be worth more than its weight in gold. The victory increased her career total to 27 points for the LPGA Hall of Fame, one of the most stringent requirements for any shrine.

Esther Henseleit of Germany finished birdie-birdie for 66, making Ko work. She ended up with the silver. China’s Xiyu Lin birdied the final hole for a 69 to earn bronze.

It was a day to forget for Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang, and Morgane Metraux. Initially, they were all within range. They all made double bogeys or worse.

Lydia Ko Finally Gets Her Olympic Gold. It Puts Her Into The LPGA Hall Of Fame

This is the latest trophy in Lydia’s amazing career, which began with her maiden LPGA championship as an amateur when she was 15 and peaked at No. 1 in the world at the age of 17. She started the year with a win, leaving her one point shy of the Hall.

“It would be a hell of a way to do it,” she said when she arrived at the course on Monday.

SOURCE | AP