Hannah Green roars into medal picture in Olympic golf
After a dismal first day at the Olympic tournament, Hannah Green felt she “had thrown everything out of the window” by trying so hard to push for Australia’s first golf medal.
Two days on, she’s now “super excited” the medal hunt is back on with a vengeance after she used Friday’s third-round moving day to surge back into the picture, thanks to holing out from 143 metres for a glorious eagle at the penultimate hole.
“I didn’t really think I was in it at all,” admitted the 27-year-old Perth ace as she started the day 11 shots off the pace being set by Swiss Morgane Metraux.
“But obviously I’ve shot a low one today with a (six-under) 66 and I’m now sitting tied 11th at the moment, so I’ve put myself in contention to win a medal now.”
And what a way to burst into contention. On the 17th, a regulation par-four looked on the cards from the fairway until Green took out a 7-iron.
“I was in between clubs but decided to go with a longer club and cut it into the wind,” she explained.
“It just landed maybe five, six metres short and then obviously rolled in. I haven’t holed out from quite a distance in a long time, felt nice to not have to get the putter out and tap-in.”
That eagle two, with a birdie to finish, thrust her to three under for the tournament, now just four off the medal positions.
New Zealand’s consistent Olympic star Lydia Ko and Metraux lead at nine under, with young American prospect Rose Zhang and Japan’s Miyu Yamashita two strokes further back.
The key, felt Green, was deciding to go out and be more aggressive on moving day after a chat with her coach – and the toughest, windiest conditions of the week helped the world No.6 after a couple of meandering days.
“This is the strongest the wind has been all week, and maybe even the last two weeks,” said the 2019 Women’s PGA winner.
“It was tough out there but I finally felt like everything was starting to piece together. I didn’t hit it as great as yesterday but the putts were definitely rolling and the hole felt a lot bigger than yesterday.
“That’s what I wanted to do at the start of the week. I believed in myself and that I could win, and have a podium finish, and now I’ve put myself in a good position to be able to do that with one more round to go.
“I’m super excited. Was hoping to try to watch some other sports tonight, but now I’m like, maybe I should just try to think about my own day tomorrow.”
It’s all so different to Wednesday’s start.
“For the first round, I wasn’t in the right mental state. I was more disappointed because we were at the Olympics and I wanted to do so well and round one just felt like I threw everything out the window,” she said.
“But I knew that once it got tougher, that would kind of suit me.
“I’ve played well the last couple days but I did probably put too much pressure on myself in round one, and the last two days.”
Minjee Lee’s meandering tournament didn’t get much better, though, as she ended up on level par, tied for 21st after a one-under 71.
“Just kind of, you know, nothing too special,” she shrugged. “Just kind of plodding along.”
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