Rewritten Article:
Inbee Park's Olympic Golf Triumph: A Historic feat in Rio
South Korea's Inbee Park seals the deal with a the Olympic gold in women's golf, leaving Lydia Ko and Feng Shanshan in her wake.
The Rio Olympics saw Inbee Park, the fifth-ranked golfer in the world, claim a golden victory, besting Lydia Ko and Shanshan Feng, who clinched silver and bronze respectively.
Saturday's triumph at the ongoing Olympics sporting extravaganza saw Park shoot a 5-under 66, elevating her overall score to 16-under 268. Doing so, she secured a comfortable lead over her rivals, finishing five strokes ahead of Ko.
Follow the action from Saturday's riveting rounds
Stepped up to the podium with a beaming smile, Park revealed her elation, "I feel extremely honored and proud to have won a gold medal at the Olympics. It feels utterly unreal. I'm happy to be standing at the top of the podium. I've won plenty of tournaments, but I've never felt this way."
The 27-year-old golfer qualified for LPGA Tour Hall of Fame inclusion this year, but her form and injury concerns dampened her campaign, with a missed British Open in July.
This win brings South Korea one step closer to its Olympics medal target, clinching the eighth position in the overall standings.
"We aim to secure a tenth-place finish in these Olympics, and hopefully, my gold medal will help bring us within that elite group," shared Park, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
Boosted by a two-stroke lead at the start of the day, and with Lydia Ko landing her first-ever Hole-in-one – a memorable achievement – on the previous day, Park and Feng were tightly locked in a battle.
Yet, Park's exceptional form on Saturday ensured the gold medal, leaving no room for doubt.
Harukyo Nomura from Japan, meanwhile, carded a 65, but missed out on the podium in a four-way tie with American Stacey Lewis and Korean Hee Young Yang, all ending up in a shared fourth place.
Brooke Henderson, currently the third-ranked golfer worldwide, seemed set for a podium finish but had to settle for a joint seventh with Briton Charley Hull and Australian Minjee Lee.
The latter sealed her round with a closing 67.
Nineteen-year-old Canadian sensation Maria Verchenova broke the record for most birdies in a single round with an impressive 9, along with a Hole-in-One at the fourth par-3 hole, finishing with a 62 for the day.
This impressive outing propelled Verchenova to the 16th position.
