Lydia Ko Wins Olympic Gold in Golf

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP) — Lydia Ko, the 27-year-old New Zealand golfer, achieved a remarkable milestone on Saturday by winning the gold medal at the Olympic women’s golf competition, completing her collection of Olympic medals. Ko, who previously earned silver in Rio 2016 and bronze in Tokyo 2020, expressed her joy, stating, "to be able to be holding gold here in Paris, it's honestly a dream come true." Despite a rocky start with a bogey on her first hole, Ko rebounded with three birdies on the front nine, finishing 2-under at the turn. However, she faced challenges on the back nine, including a triple bogey on the 15th hole. Nevertheless, she managed to maintain her composure, finishing with a 1-under 71, securing a two-shot victory. Her emotional moment came on the 18th hole when she sank a birdie putt, solidifying her place atop the podium. Esther Henseleit of Germany claimed the silver medal with an impressive final-round score of 6-under 66, while China's Xiyu Lin captured bronze after a strong finish with three birdies in the last four holes. Ko's victory not only adds to her accolades but also qualifies her for the LPGA Hall of Fame, making her the 35th player to achieve this honor. Ko's journey in golf has been extraordinary, starting as a 15-year-old amateur and rising to the top of the sport. With this gold medal, she has completed her Olympic medal collection and further solidified her legacy in women's golf.