Nelly Korda of the United States won the Olympic gold medal in women’s golf at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 on Saturday. She became the second American golfer at the Olympic Games this year to stand on top of the podium as Xander Schauffele won the men’s individual event.
Nelly Korda posted a four-round score at the Olympic Games of -17. However, it was a struggle for the world number one at times in the final round. Korda had a double bogey five on the par-three seventh hole where she had difficulty getting her ball on to the green. Korda then bogeyed the par-four 11th hole.
Korda’s struggles allowed others to get back into contention. Mone Inami of Japan and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko were each one back of Korda over 72 holes at -16. Inami ended up finishing second over Ko and winning the silver medal, as she won a playoff over the veteran Kiwi.
To be honest, its was surprising that there was a playoff for silver, and many would not have had a problem with Ko and Inami sharing silver medals and no medals being awarded for bronze. Olympians sharing medals in Olympic history is actually common. In one of the most dramatic scenes from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 is when Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy and Mutaz Essa of Qatar agreed to share the gold medal in the men’s high jump, after they each jumped 2.37 metres, but could not reach 2.39 metres.
Ko meanwhile made Olympic history by becoming the first golfer to win multiple medals in individual golf competition at the Olympic Games. She previously won silver at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
