The Women’s Golf Olympic Games 2021 event promises to be a top discipline to take place in Japan this summer, as it features a number of the world’s best female players all competing for the gold medal.
A number of countries will be represented rather well at the competition, with some having numerous competitors all compete, thus given them the ideal opportunity to add to their overall medal tallies.
This guide will highlight everything you need to know about this Olympic event, whilst also highlighting the favorites and who could potentially be going home with the gold medal.
Where and when will the event take place?
The Kasumigaseki Country Club (East Course) is where all of the golf at the Olympics will be played, with both the Men’s and Women’s disciplines taking part on the same course. The Women’s edition of the competition will take place after the Men’s, commencing on August 4 and finishing on August 7.
The course is set to have a Par score of 71 and has a total distance of 6,648 yards, although the female competitors will see that reduced by approximately 800 yards. It is a newly re-designed course, having been re-created in 2016 for the Olympics and is likely to provide each of the players a rather challenging prospect over the four rounds to be played.
It should be noted that there is no cut in this competition and if any of the medal positions are tied, a playoff will need to be played to try and split them.
Favorites to win the event
South Korean golfer, Inbee Park holds the current course record of 268 for a 72-hole game, having achieved it as recently as 2016, which is why she has been made amongst one of the favorites to win at Unibet Odds Indiana with a price of +1,100.
She is the current 2016 Olympic Champion, having shot 16-under that included three rounds that featured just 66 overall shots. She won the gold medal by a distance of five shots from Lydia Ko, who will be returning to the event for New Zealand whilst the bronze medalist, Shanshan Feng of China will also be making a return.
However, she is not the favorite given the incredibly strong field that will be taking to the Kasumigaseki Country Club course. The World’s No. 1 female player, Nelly Korda, will represent Team USA and is favored to take home the gold medal with odds of +700, whilst South Korea’s Jin Young Ko is just ahead of her compatriot at +1,000.
Japan will look at Nasa Hatakoa as their best chance of keeping gold within the country this summer, as she is a multi-time LPGA Tour winner, whilst their chances will also be in the hands of Mone Inami.
History of the Olympics event
The overall record for a Women’s Olympic Golf event was also set in the previous edition of the Summer Games, with Russia’s Maria Verchenova having managed to produce a round of 62 in the Final Round in 2016. That total will take some beating this time around, though as the course is incredibly long.
As mentioned, the three medalists from the last event will all be taking to the golf course in this event, which could mean some truly competitive action can be expected throughout the four rounds scheduled to take place; especially as each of the four major winners in 2021 so far to be competing.
What to look out for?
Team USA may have missed out on a medal in 2016 Rio, but it would be hard not to expect them to be on the podium this time around. Korda is the favorite to win the gold medal this summer and is the world’s No.1 ranked female golfer.
As mentioned, each of the four major winners this year are all scheduled to compete, with Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand, ANA Inspiration), Yuka Saso (The Philippines, U.S. Women’s Open), Nelly Korda (U.S.A., KPMG Women’s PGA Championship), and Minjee Lee (Australia, Evian Championship) all taking part.