Hannah Green and Minjee Lee spent Sunday at Le Golf National in green and gold and supporting Jason Day and Min Woo Lee on the final day of men’s competition.
But they move into the bigger spotlight from today as they prepare their own quest for a piece of history in the Olympic Games women’s strokeplay starting Thursday at the same venue.
Both Green and Lee are experienced Olympians – Green came close to winning a medal in Tokyo in 2021 finishing tied-fourth, a shot out of a playoff for third, and Lee has previously represented Australia at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo where she was tied-29th.
Both women prioritise the Olympics and have openly said this is their major focus of 2024.
With world rankings of No. 6 for Green and No. 11 for Lee, and with both being major championship winners, Australia’s chances theoretically are better on the women’s side.
No Australian has ever won a medal in golf at the Olympics, with the sport having been reincluded after a break of more than a century at the 2016 Rio Games.
The field at Le Golf National is white hot, headed by world No. 1 and reigning champion Nelly Korda of the USA, and all of the top-ranked players.
The tournament begins at 5pm Thursday AEST.
AUSTRALASIAN PLAYER PROFILES
HANNAH GREEN
Age: 27
The Perth star is having her best year on the LPGA Tour with two wins. Currently ranked No. 6 in the world, she is No. 3 on the tour rankings and hellbent on going a step farther than her Tokyo campaign when she finished a single shot out of a playoff for bronze. One of four Australian women to win a major championship having secured the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship.
MINJEE LEE
Age: 28
Already a three-time Olympian at just 28, Lee has had a quieter year and was overtaken in the world rankings by her compatriot Green, but she is still just outside the top 10 in the world, has won two major championships and has set herself the goal of making the LPGA Hall of Fame. A win in France would help her cause markedly, and she could be dangerous this week. Two majors – the 2022 US Women’s Open and the 2021 Evian Championship – already have her as an all-time great of the sport.
LYDIA KO (NZ)
Age: 27
Still chasing a coveted gold medal after she won silver in Rio de Janeiro and bronze in Tokyo, the remarkable Kiwi is still playing superb golf and will most likely be a strong challenger in France. Has had one win and a string of top-10s in 2024 to show that she is still highly competitive.
THE COURSE
The women’s course will play one shot higher to par at par-72 this week and 700 metres shorter than it was for the men. The 18th hole, a par-4 for the men, becomes a par-5 for the women. The course plays to 5828 metres overall.
Le Golf National’s L’Albatros Course is built on unremarkable land a clay base almost an hour out of Paris, near Versailles. There is dispute over its designer – the original architect was Hubert Chesneau but his routing for the two 18-hole courses was scrapped by consultant Robert van Hagge – and they had to work hard for their money, moving 1.5 million cubic metres of dirt to shape the course because of the flatness of the terrain.
The federation wanted a TPC-style course, and it’s said to have touches of Florida – looking in parts like Sawgrass with nine holes having water in play – plus a sprinkling of Ireland, too with a linksy feel. It is far from the best course in France, but it does cater for up to 80,000 spectators and its 18th hole has a spectacular amphitheatre.
Le Golf National’s biggest moment was in hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup, won in memorable fashion by Europe, but it has also hosted 29 playings of the men’s Open de France on the DP World Tour since opening in 1990.
TV COVERAGE
*All times AEST.
Rounds One-Four: Thursday-Sunday from 5pm (Nine, 9Now, Stan)
Link to 9Now: https://www.9now.com.au/shows/2024-olympic-games
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Nelly Korda (USA)
LIVE SCORES: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/results/golf/men-s-individual-stroke-play/fnl———
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