Golfer Park silences doubters with Rio win

Park In-Bee wasn't even sure she'd play in the Olympics until recently, dogged by a stubborn thumb injury and questions in South Korea over whether she could lead the country's splendid women golfers in Rio.

But she silenced the doubters, and even surprised herself, with a commanding performance this week to seize the first women's Olympic golf title in 116 years.

"I really wanted to do well this week to show people that I can still play," Park said, after winning by five strokes on Saturday.

"I'm just happy to be playing right now. Nothing really was guaranteed a couple of months ago, whether I can still play tournament golf. So I'm really happy for that."

Park's thumb injury has forced her to skip some recent tour events, depriving her of much-needed tournament experience to hone her game before golf's historic return to the Olympics.

It didn't show.

With her lazy swing that seems to just drop from her shoulders, Park took the lead in the second round and never really looked seriously threatened, despite having world number one Lydia Ko breathing down her neck.

In a display of her patented steady, mistake-free golf, Park shot three rounds of 66 and a 70 on the par-71 Rio Games course.

A former world number one now ranked fifth, Park is still just 28 but has seven women's majors under her belt. Earlier this year, she became the youngest person to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame.

- 'One of the best ever' -

She has been one of the most dominant golfers of either gender over the past five years until the recent emergence of Ko, a 19-year-old phenom.

Stacy Lewis, a two-time major winner who finished fourth in Rio after failing to chase down Park, said it was time golf began to recognise the low-key, underappreciated South Korean.

"What she has done is amazing," Lewis said.

"She is in the Hall of Fame, she has won a gold medal, she has done something no one else has done. She is certainly one of the best of all time."

Lewis marvelled in particular at Park's ability to shake off the rust to win on the biggest stage in sport in a game where success is so dependent on repetition and groove.

"That is a hard thing to do. The way she won this week is very impressive," Lewis said.

South Korea sent four golfers to Rio, more than any other country, a reflection of its dominance of the women's game.

With five South Koreans in the world's top 10, pressure was high to bring back medals.

Park said that some in South Korea were questioning whether, after slipping to world number five over the past two years, she should be replaced on the team, her best days now behind her.

But in the Games run-up, she worked on sharpening up her swing while simultaneously trying to heal the thumb.

"I felt quite pressured and quite nervous all week, more than any other week," Park said, adding that she also did not expect to be standing atop the podium.

"It felt like this week was so long and mentally and physically exhausting."

"But I'm happy with the result and when you play for your country there is some extra power it gives you and I think that drove me on the golf course."