Piller in mix for medal
Park leads by 2 strokes after the third round
RIO DE JANEIRO — Inbee Park was in the 16th fairway, only 50 yards from the hole, and couldn’t imagine a worse spot to be.
She already had lost a three-shot lead in gusts up to 30 mph Friday at Olympic Golf Course. And now she faced a shot that would punish anything just a little long or a little left. The safe play was the middle of the green and get out of there with a par. Park had other ideas. She took two months off from golf to get ready for the Olympics, and it was time to trust her instincts.
“Luckily, I had an uphill lie,” she said. “I said, ‘I’m just going to go for this pin.’ I have confidence that I can stop it if I hit the distance. I played aggressive golf there, and it really worked good.”
Starting with that pitch to tap-in range, she birdied two straight holes and shot a 1-under 70 to take a twoshot lead into the final round. Now comes the real test. Just as difficult as the wind was seeing the name of Lydia Ko — the No. 1 player in women’s golf — right behind her.
Ko made the first hole-in-one of her career as she raced into contention with a 65, closing the gap to two shots. The 19-year-old from Kiwi started the day seven shots behind and now has a solid chance at gold.
“We all know there’s a lot on the line at the end of tomorrow,” Ko said. “I think I’ve done a good job of putting myself in there and still having the chance to be standing on that podium.”
Gerina Piller, the American who narrowly qualified for the Olympics in her final event, shot a 68 and joined them in the final group, two shots behind Park. Piller, has never won on the LPGA Tour, though there is something about playing for her country that brings out her best golf. Piller’s signature moment was making the winning putt for the United States in the Solheim Cup last year in Germany.
“I feel like I have a chance at this,” the Roswell native said. “I’m going to try to do the best I can and represent my country with class.”
Shanshan Feng of China shot 68 and was three shots back.
Starting times have been moved up, with play starting on the first and 10th tees because of more rugged conditions in the forecast.
Park was still the player to beat. The 28-year-old South Korean finally got her putter going, and she’s among the best in women’s golf on the greens.
Charley Hull of Britain fell out of the chasing pack by missing three par putts inside 5 feet on the back nine. She shot 74 and was six shots behind. Brooke Henderson of Canada, the No. 2 player in women’s golf, struggled even more. Henderson was still in the mix when she fourputted for double bogey on the 16th hole, taking three of those putts from 3 feet. She wound up with a 75.