New Zealand's Lydia Ko stepped up her bid to complete a full set of Olympic medals as she tied for the lead with Switzerland's Morgane Metraux after the third round of the women's golf tournament in Paris.
The two-time major winner looked set to take the lead with one day to play until a stunning performance with partner Metraux produced an eagle on the 18th at Le Golf National to join him at 9 under for 54 holes.
Ko, who is seeking to become the first woman in the modern Olympic golf era to win three straight medals (she won silver at Rio 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020), combined with three birdies and one bogey at the seventh to respond at 2-under . He then birdied the 10th with a bogey on the 12th, before carding 17 birdies to take two shots to the last.
That's when Metraux, who was in the shadows for much of Friday, produced his best moment of the round as he backed up the lead on the final hole with a 20-foot putt for eagle. 1 – less than 71.
As eye-catching as Thursday's 6-under 66, in which he played nine of 28 strokes, world No.137 Metraux showed his resolve after his round threatened to unravel with three bogeys on the four-hole stretch. holes 10-13.
Two shots back remain the closest competitors in USA's Rose Zhang and Japan's Miyu Yamashita, another Olympic debutant.
Zhang made eagles at 14 and 18 in his 67, including a double bogey at 15, while Yamashita posted a 4-under 68.
The Japanese player had one of two free rounds on Friday, with the other going to Canada's Brooke Henderson as she shot a 67 to leave herself at 2-under.
Defending gold medalist Nelly Korda sits tied at 7 under after a third-round 70, along with first-round leader Celine Boutier of France and China's Xiyu Lin and Ruoning Yin.
Australia's Hannah Green produced the best card of the day with a 6-under 66 that included seven birdies and a stunning 153-yard eagle, which holed out on the par-4 17th to move into a tie for 11th.
Georgia Hall and Charley Hull, representing Team GB, tied for 27th and tied for 36th, after shooting rounds of 71 and 69 respectively.
For the latest Paris scores, click here.
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