Olympics 2024: Americans saw medal chances drowned with water balls

The Olympic ideal often emphasizes that the true value of the Games lies in the experience of participating. While that sentiment works well for slogans, speeches, and Wikipedia entries, it falls short when discussing Team USA’s golf performance at the Olympics. With three of the top 10 golfers in the world on their roster—Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, and Rose Zhang—Team USA aimed higher than mere participation. However, their journey in Paris fell short of expectations, as their Olympic dreams unraveled, largely due to the number of golf balls that found their way into French ponds.

The American team collectively put eight balls in the water, which derailed their rounds and caused significant drops in the leaderboard. Despite a strong rally, Zhang was the highest finisher for the U.S., ending two shots shy of the bronze with a closing round of 74. Korda struggled as well, dropping 15 places after a round of 75, which included her second seven of the week, ultimately finishing tied for 22nd. Vu also faced challenges, fading with a third-round seven and tying for 36th after shooting 76-74 in the last two rounds.

Despite making 42 birdies and two eagles over the week, the penalty strokes proved too costly for the U.S. team. The course seemed to knock them off balance every time they gained momentum, and no one experienced this more acutely than Korda. The defending gold medalist from Tokyo made 19 birdies, the third most in the field, but her last three rounds were marred by disastrous bogeys and “others,” including a quadruple bogey on the par-3 16th in the second round and a triple bogey on the 15th in the final round. Although she ranked in the top 10 for strokes gained off the tee and on approach, Korda’s putting woes haunted her throughout the tournament, finishing 50th in strokes gained putting in the 60-player field.

Reflecting on her performance, Korda admitted, “I think recently what’s been happening to me is I make a mistake and then I make another mistake on top of it. I need to control that where I don’t compound all the mistakes.” She struggled to balance aggression and caution on a course where the rough was just penal enough to turn good drives into bogeys, and the water hazards proved more disastrous than decorative.

Zhang, a first-time Olympian, had a slightly more positive experience, though it was tinged with regret. Starting the final round tied for third, she stumbled with a front-nine 40, including a tee shot into the water on the reachable par-5 ninth. This mistake cost her a chance at a bronze-medal playoff. “I was probably an inch or two off, just not having the greatest lies from the rough,” she explained. Despite the setbacks, Zhang found inspiration in watching her playing partner, Lydia Ko, clinch the gold medal.

“Lydia has always been a kind of mentor to me,” Zhang shared. “For her to say a simple ‘good shot’ at that moment meant so