SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – In moments of disappointment, you learn and grow stronger. For Olympic debutants Morgane Metraux and Rose Zhang, both showed important perspective as they reflected on missing out on a medal they sought from a day that offered such promise at the outset.
Metraux, the 137th-ranked player in the world, held a share of the 54-hole lead at Le Golf National after proving the surprise package in the 60-strong field over the opening three days. In sport’s biggest global spectacle, the 27-year-old from neighbouring Switzerland was riding a wave of good feelings, and a medal appeared a very real possibility.
But Saturday, playing alongside Zhang and eventual gold medalist Lydia Ko, things didn’t play out as Metraux would have hoped. From struggling on the range to suffering dizziness on the course, the form and composure she had displayed in abundance to get to the summit of the leaderboard was evading her just when she needed it most.
After a bogey-bogey start to the day, a triple-bogey at the par-4 fifth saw her tumble down the leaderboard further. Bogeys at the 12th and 14th hurt her chances further, and any momentum she appeared to regain with birdies at Nos. 15 and 16 were then lost with a double-bogey at the par-4 17th as she carded a 7-over 79.
“I had an amazing experience,” said Metraux afterward. “It's unlike any other event I've ever played. To be able to represent your country on such a stage is incredible and have so many supporters here for me cheering my name, cheering for their country, it's been incredible.
“So right now it hurts, what happened today, but I'm going to eventually remember only the good stuff.”
There was plenty of reason for optimism for what is to come over the rest of the year. In Thursday’s second round, she set a new nine-hole Olympic record with a 28 on the front nine. But it was perhaps the resolve she showed in bouncing back from setbacks during the back nine on Thursday and during an up-and-down performance Friday that make her struggles in the spotlight a source of frustration.
As to what the difference was on Saturday, Metraux said: “I struggle with dizziness here and there. It's the third time this year that it's happened, and it was really bothering me today…
“It's heat, less sleep. It just happens. It's happened a few times. It's going to happen again. It's just unfortunate it happened today.”
Another player left to reflect on what could have been was Zhang. At 21, she is already a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour and arrived at Le Golf National as a genuine pre-tournament medal contender.
Starting the day at 7-under, two adrift of overnight co-leaders Ko and Metraux, the world No. 9 parred her first four holes before bogeys at Nos 4 and 7 were followed by a double-bogey at the par-5 ninth. And while she was able to make three birdies on her back nine, it all added up a 2-over 74 that left her T8 at the close of play.
Yet, amid the inevitable disappointment, Zhang appeared in upbeat spirits, revelling in the experience of sharing in the euphoria around Ko becoming the sport’s first three-time Olympic medalist. In her own words, she intends to take the experience as a source of inspiration.
“Lydia has always been a kind of mentor to me,” said Zhang. “Even when I just turned pro, she was always one to approach me first and make me feel comfortable on tour. I mean, she's made history, and it was really just inspiring to watch her throughout the round.
“For myself, I think there's just a lot more improvement, a lot more experience that I need to really just push forward and continue grinding.”
As one of the game’s undisputed current stars, the next step lies ahead – to win a major – and Zhang feels her Olympic experience will help her immeasurably along the way.
“It takes a lot of resilience to get the job done or to even be in contention,” she said. “I’m really proud of how hard I fought, and I think there's just a lot more coming and pretty excited for what I can work on and what I can improve on.”
While much was expected of her, it was a disappointing week for Team USA’s Nelly Korda. The world No. 1 was aiming to win back-to-back gold medals, three years on from her success in Tokyo.
After back-to-back birdies at the second and third early Saturday, things looked promising. But from there mistakes were made, including finding water with her approach at the 15th. It was an error that ultimately took the wind out of her sails when she was still in medal contention and contributed to her closing out her week with a 75 that saw her finish T22.
“I think recently what's been happening to me is I make a mistake and then I make another mistake on top of it,” she reflected. “Needing to control that bit of it where I don't compile all the mistakes, which is what I've been kind of doing recently.”
But don’t let that make you think she didn’t enjoy her second taste of the Olympics.
“It's been great,” she added. “I mean, the crowds have been amazing and at the end of the day, I played some really solid golf for three years from Tokyo to get me back on to this team and to represent the United States, and to be at the Olympics again. I'm a two-time Olympian and I have a gold medal and I'm proud of that.”
As Korda alludes to, the Olympics is the culmination of months of build-up, with expectation something that Frenchwoman Celine Boutier has felt keenly as the home star.
But pressure, was seemingly something she wasn’t feeling. She delighted the home crowds to card a 7-under 65 on day one but was unable to replicate that high level over the following days and settled for a spot just inside the top 20 after a closing 74.
“I think it was definitely a lot bigger than I envisioned,” said major winner Boutier of the overall experience. “I obviously knew the Olympics was going to be huge.
“But I think being able to experience the men's event first was definitely helpful just to be able to adjust the expectations that I had on the tournament. It was definitely a lot bigger than I thought, and then this week was also huge.”
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