Tight at the top in battle for Olympic golf gold

Paris 2024 Olympics leaderboard, round three

-9 Metraux (SUI), Ko (NZ); -7 Zhang (US), Yamashita (JPN)

Selected others: -4 Korda (US), Boutier; +3 Hall (GB); +5 Hull (GB)

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux will head into the final day of the women’s golf competition tied at nine-under par after an eventful day at Le Golf National.

Overnight leader Metraux had been one-over for the day until an eagle on the 18th saw her sign for a one-under 71.

Ko, who already has silver and bronze medals from the past two Olympic Games, is well positioned to try and complete the set with gold on Saturday after carding a four-under 68 to climb two spots on the leaderboard.

Behind her sits America’s Rose Zhang and Japan’s Yamashita Miyu, who are two shots back at seven-under par.

Also in the hunt are Nelly Korda and first-round leader Celine Boutier, tied for seventh at four-under.

Great Britain’s Charley Hull and Georgia Hall remain out of medal contention.

Hull posted a third round three-under 69 as she continued to repair some of the damage from her disastrous nine-over 81 in Wednesday’s opening round.

Team-mate Hall carded a one-under 71 to sit at three over overall.