Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux rolled in an eagle putt at the last to end day three tied at the top of the leaderboard alongside New Zealand’s Lydia Ko at Le Golf National.
The Swiss player, who led at the 36-hole mark, began with a birdie on the third day of the Women’s Olympic Golf Competition but dropped a shot on the fifth before making another birdie on the ninth.
Metraux then began to falter with three bogeys in four holes but turned it around to roll in a birdie on the 14th hole.
The two-time LET winner produced an excellent eagle on 18 to move back into a share of first place on nine-under-par alongside Ko.
“It was fun,” said Metraux. “It was a lot of fun [being in the last group]. I was a lot more calm and serene than I thought I was going to be.
“It was really helping playing with girls I knew and are super nice too. I had a lot of fun, and things just didn’t quite drop for most of the round for me, but I stayed really patient and it paid off on the last hole.
“I stayed patient, that was the key today. I just focused on myself and didn’t let what everybody else was doing get to me. I know this course is very difficult, and any hole can get to you at any point.
“Nelly [Korda] was a perfect example yesterday. She had a great round and just one hole cost her a lot. You have to just be on the whole time and focus on yourself, and I was able to do that today.
“I don’t think anything is close to the Olympics for us. Obviously, I came into this week just telling myself, it’s a medal or nothing, so just give it everything – without attacking too much but within reason.
“I think I need to go into every event with that mentality because it seems to be working well. It’s just fun to play in front of so many people and have so much support and play so close to home, too. It’s really a lot of fun.”
New Zealand’s Ko fired a round of 68 (-4) on day three in Paris as she aims to win her third Olympic medal in three appearances.
The seven-time LET winner rolled in birdies on holes three and six before dropping a shot on the seventh.
Ko made back-to-back birdies on nine and 10, she made another bogey on the 12th but finished with birdies on 14 and 17 to also be at the top of the leaderboard alongside Metraux on nine-under-par.
“Overall, I played solid,” said Ko. “Today was difficult with the wind picking up. The wind was up all day, and despite being in the final group I felt like I was able to embrace the atmosphere really well.
“It was a lot of fun. I had a great group and I think when I did make some mistakes, I was able to recover really well and stay patient. That’s a big key in any kind of major event, and especially at a big one like this.
“I watched her [Simone Biles’] documentary called Rising and it was so inspirational. I think as an outsider, we never know like what the person is going through. I think for her to have been so vulnerable, I think it inspires a lot of people and it inspired me.
“I loved a few of the quotes that she said so I kind of wrote it on my yardage book. It was awesome to hear literally the greatest of all time as a gymnast, and maybe potentially one of the best athletes of all time, to show her story was awesome.”
Two shots further back are American Rose Zhang and Japan’s Miyu Yamashita as they sit in a share of third place on seven-under-par.
Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul, the 2021 Race to Costa del Sol champion, is in outright fifth place on six-under-par with Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe, who won the 2024 Women’s NSW Open, one shot further back in sixth.
Four players round out the top 10 with world number one Nelly Korda, France’s Celine Boutier and Chinese duo Xiyu Janet Lin and Ruoning Yin all on four-under-par.
The final round of the Women’s Olympic Golf Competition, when the medals will be decided, gets underway at 8 am (local time) on Saturday morning with the leaders heading out at 11.39 am (local time).
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