Esther Henseleit sat seven shots behind the overnight leaders heading into the final day of the Olympic women’s golf competition.
But that didn’t matter as the German surged up the leaderboard at Le Golf National to secure a silver medal.
The 25-year-old was in T13 on two-under-par with 18 holes to play and started with quickly with back-to-back birdies on holes one and two.
Henseleit added further birdies on six, nine and 10 to put herself within touching distance of a medal in France.
She dropped her only shot of the day with a bogey on the 12th but soon bounced back and finished her week in style with birdies at 17 and 18 to seal a round of 66 (-6) and set the clubhouse lead of eight-under-par.
“I was so far back coming into today,” said the 2019 LET Order of Merit winner. “I had a great start and after nine holes, I looked at the leaderboard and I was maybe in second, and I was more surprised.
“But I was always saying to myself, there were still four groups behind me and they can still make a lot of birdies. Especially coming in, you get some chances. 18 is a great chance. I knew I just had to keep playing aggressive, playing my own game, I played really well today.
“I had a bit of a struggle at the start into the back nine, but I managed to make some great pars and then to finish birdie-birdie, is incredible. Even then, I thought they might still get past me, and I don’t know what’s going to happen.
“It’s not sunken in yet. I think I’ll need a few days, but it’s amazing to be sitting up here with two of the best golfers in the world, and I think I’m the first European to get an Olympic Medal in women’s golf. That’s definitely very special.”
Henseleit had plenty of support in the crowd with family and friends adoring customised t-shirts, while her fiancé Reece was on the bag.
With a few groups still to finish after herself, the two-time LET winner had time to watch the action and see New Zealand’s Lydia Ko claim gold as she was confirmed as a silver medallist.
“It was really cool,” she continued. “After my birdie on 17, I was really calm. Going down 18, I managed to actually enjoy everything, to look at the crowds. Sitting in the clubhouse, knowing that I had a medal, and then to share it with my fiancée who is on the bag this week was definitely special.
“We were saying, if there’s one person who I would want to finish in front of me, it’s probably Lydia [Ko]. There are some players that you know they are not going to mess up coming down the last two, and she is definitely one of them. I was just kind of happy sitting there enjoying my silver medal.”
There are a big few weeks ahead for Henseleit, who is hopeful of making her Solheim Cup debut for Team Europe in September, and a medal-winning performance on the biggest stage might have just put that dream one step closer.
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