Inbee Park wins Olympic gold in Rio

South Korea’s Inbee Park is the women’s Olympic golf gold medallist after completing a five-shot victory in Rio de Janeiro today.

Park, 28, carded a final round of 66 to become the first female since Margaret Abbott of the US in 1900 to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.

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Lydia Ko, above, took the silver medal for New Zealand with a gutsy birdie on the final hole to force China’s Shanshan Feng into the bronze medal position.

Team GB’s Charley Hull finished in a three-way tie for seventh, with Catriona Matthew 29th.

Read more -> Justin Rose wins gold for Team GB

However, the day belonged to Park. Plagued by a thumb injury for most of this season, this week marked the seven-time major winner’s first competitive appearance in two months.

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Starting the final round with a two-shot lead over Ko and America’s Gerina Piller, Park had four birdies in a flawless front nine to get one hand on the gold as the final group turned for home.

Read more -> Inbee Park makes history at Turnberry

Her back nine was a little more jittery. She made amends for a bogey at the par-5 tenth with a birdie at 13. She promptly gave that shot away again at 14 as Feng closed to within three. However, Park was not to be denied. A sixth birdie of the round at the 15th restored her advantage and she drained another at the par-3 17th to take a sizeable lead up the 18th, where a par sealed her victory.

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Inbee Park: Your Thoughts

Inbee Park has completed the career grand slam, won seven majors, 17 LPGA titles and now Olympic gold by the age of 28 – is she the greatest female golfer of the last 50 years? Leave your thoughts in our ‘Comments’ section below.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor