2024 Olympics: Lydia Ko punches HOF ticket after spectacular gold victory

Lydia Ko couldn’t maintain again her tears of pleasure as she sank her birdie putt on the 18th gap on Saturday at Le Golf Nationwide in Paris, France. That birdie secured her the Gold Medal in ladies’s golf on the 2024 Olympics.

Ko now has a bronze medal from the 2021 Tokyo Video games, a silver medal from the 2016 Rio Video games, and a gold medal from the 2024 Paris Video games.

“That’s why I deleted my Instagram. I didn’t need to be fazed by what different individuals had been saying and luxuriate in this chance as a result of this expertise has been unbelievable, and the followers have been nice,” Ko mentioned. “It’s a life peak for me right here. I don’t assume I’ve skilled this adrenaline earlier than, and to do it right here, it actually can’t get any higher.”

She is the primary male or feminine golfer to win three medals within the fashionable Video games.

On Saturday, the 27-year-old carded a 1-under 71 to submit a 10-under total and win by two strokes.

She got here into Saturday tied for the lead with Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux and defined how a youthful model of herself wouldn’t have been as regular.

“I feel once I was youthful, I might have been, ‘Oh, man, everyone seems to be making an attempt to catch me.’ So get nearly extra strain from that,” Ko mentioned. “I attempted to think about, ‘Hey, I get two free photographs over a few of the different gamers, and , they don’t come without cost.’ I needed to have that as a cushion but in addition give attention to my sport.”

The 20-time LPGA winner stayed targeted and accomplished her aim.

Picture by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP through Getty Photographs

“It’s one of many issues I’m most happy with. I caught to my sport plan and caught to being aggressive off the tee,” she mentioned. “That’s one thing I’ve been scuffling with and been working onerous on with my coaches. For it to progressively get higher these previous couple of months and hit its peak right here on the Olympics, it doesn’t get higher than this. To be holding and carrying this Gold Medal, it’s fairly loopy proper now.”

Ko began her day with a bogey on the opening gap however shortly recovered with a birdie on the third and seventh.

Along with her third birdie of the day, she prolonged her result in 4 photographs at No. 9.

A double bogey on the par-4 thirteenth introduced the result in three.

Ko made 4 straight pars to get to the 18th gap and ultimately made a seven-footer for birdie to win by two photographs.

After her putt dropped, the group went wild for Ko. She turned emotional because it all started to sink in for her.

It felt form of like destiny and her personal Cinderella story.

“Cinderella’s glass slippers are see-through, and my podium footwear are additionally see-through,” she famous. “I really feel like I’m a part of this story story. Going into this week, everybody was saying, ‘Oh, what in the event you end and gather all of the Gold on high of the Silver and Bronze you will have.’ In fact, I need to do this and full it, too, but it surely’s a lot simpler mentioned than finished.”

Becoming a member of her on the rostrum was Germany’s Esther Henseliet for Silver and China’s Xiyu Lin, who received the Bronze.

Picture by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP through Getty Photographs

Her efficiency additionally gave her the ultimate level to enter the LPGA Corridor of Fame.

To attain this honor, a participant should earn 27 factors by way of LPGA wins, majors, Olympic medals, the Vare Trophy and Participant of the Yr awards.

Ko received the Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions in January, giving her 26 factors.

“To win the primary occasion of the 12 months at my house membership at Lake Nona took the strain off, and I knew that if I labored on the fitting issues, one event might occur at any level,” she famous. “Did I think about that I used to be going to do it on the Paris Olympics? In all probability not. However that is the good method to do it.”

Now, she is the thirty fifth LPGA Corridor of Fame member and the youngest underneath the present standards. Ko turned the primary New Zealand golfer within the Corridor of Fame and is the newest energetic participant to get the factors. Inbee Park was the final to take action in 2016.

After Ko watched Simone Biles’ documentary Thursday evening, she selected one of many gymnast’s quotes, “I get to write down my very own ending.”

Ko wrote the right mantra in her yardage e book and ultimately accomplished her Olympic trifecta.

Generally, all one wants is a little bit confidence and a Simone Biles quote to get the job finished—for Ko, this resulted in a Gold medal and a Corridor of Fame spot.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. For extra golf protection, comply with us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. You can even comply with her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.