Morgane Metraux Shines with Record-Breaking Round in Olympic Women’s Golf Competition
Swiss golfer Morgane Metraux delivered an exceptional performance at the Olympic Women’s Golf Competition at Le Golf National in Paris, France on August 8, 2024. Metraux, ranked 137th in the world, set an Olympic nine-hole record with an 8-under 28 on the front nine, showcasing her remarkable talent and composure on the international stage.
Metraux’s spectacular start began with a birdie on the 1st hole, setting the tone for a historic scorecard. She followed this with an eagle on the par-5 3rd hole, and a trio of consecutive birdies on holes 4, 5, and 6. The highlight of her front nine came with a 15-foot, 7-inch eagle putt on the 9th hole, solidifying her place in Olympic history. She closed the front nine at 8-under par, a milestone achieved by neither men nor women in previous Olympic competitions.
The back nine saw Metraux facing some challenges, including a bogey-birdie-bogey stretch from holes 13 to 15. On the final hole, the 18th, she found water with her second shot, resulting in a bogey. Despite these hurdles, she still managed to finish her round with a 6-under 66, bringing her overall total to 8-under for 36 holes.
Reflecting on her performance, Metraux noted, “The difference between yesterday and today at the beginning is just the putts that fell. It just brought me confidence going forward and just tried to stay as present as I could and one shot at a time. It went pretty well.”
Hot on Metraux’s heels was Ruoning Yin of China, ranked 5th in the world. Yin carded a bogey-free 65, positioning herself just one stroke behind Metraux with a total of 8-under. New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, a two-time Olympic medalist and the defending bronze medalist, also put forth a solid round of 67, placing her third on the leaderboard.
Among other notable performances was Slovenia’s Pia Babnik, who surged up the leaderboard with a round of 66. Babnik’s impressive play was highlighted by five straight birdies from holes 12 to 16, allowing her to climb 26 spots from her first round.
Conversely, some golfers faced significant struggles. Celine Boutier, the first-round leader, faltered with a 4-over 76, following a critical stretch of a double bogey on 13, bogey on 14, and another double bogey on 15. Defending gold medalist Nelly Korda posted an eventful round of 70, marred by a quadruple bogey on the 16th hole. Korda ended the day six shots behind the leader.
Team GB’s Georgia Hall and Charley Hull also had a challenging day. Hall recorded a second consecutive round of 74, tying her for 36th at four-over-par. Hull showed some improvement with a one-under 71, but stumbled with three dropped shots over the final three holes, leaving her tied for 52nd, 16 shots off the lead.
As the competition progresses, all eyes will be on how Metraux and her challengers navigate the remaining rounds. The close competition promises an exciting conclusion to the Olympic Women’s Golf event, with the potential for more record-breaking performances and dramatic shifts on the leaderboard.
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