Ariya Retires from Olympics With Knee Injury, Inbee Holds Lead

The world No 2 Ariya was playing below her standard because of the injury and decided to call it a day after 13 holes.

“I felt pain on my left knee since on Thursday but it felt better after I met a doctor. I thought it would be better in the morning (Friday) but as the longer I played, the worse it became. After 13 holes, I realized I could no longer continue,” said Ariya.

“This is one of the most difficult decisions I had to make. Olympics is very important to me. I’m really sorry for this,” said Ariya who still hoped to play next week in Canada.

Meanwhile Lydia Ko of New Zealand  shot a third-round six-under-par 65 punctuated by an ace to charge to within two strokes of South Korea's Inbee Park (11 under)  in the sprint for the first women's Olympic title in 116 years.

It will be New Zealand up against the two powers of women's golf, South Korea and the United States, as Ko and Park tee off in Saturday's final round along with the USA's Gerina Piller.

Starting the day seven strokes behind Park, Ko aced the par-3 eighth hole and added four birdies on a blistering bogey-free front nine.

"I knew I needed to shoot a very low number to get myself back into contention. It gives me a little bit of belief going into tomorrow," said Ko, who at 17 last year became the youngest person either male or female to reach golf's number one rank.

Even if she fails to strike gold, Ko said the hole-in-one will be a priceless memory.

"I got my first hole-in-one, and to do that at the Olympics, it doesn't get any better than that," Ko said of her 7-iron on the 140-yard (128-m) eighth.

"It kind of puts the cherry on top."

Overnight leader Park clung to a two-stroke advantage over Ko and Piller but she had to hold on tight as winds approaching 20 km (12 miles) an hour swept in off the South Atlantic at midday.

That sent umbrellas flying and chilled afternoon scoring on Rio's Olympic course, forcing Park into an uncharacteristic five bogeys.

But she still managed a one-under-par 70 for the day to remain in pole position at 11-under overall.

Similar weather is expected Saturday and that will be just fine for Piller, who shot a three-under-par despite the inclement afternoon.

"I want it as tough as it can possibly play," she said of Saturday's forecast.

"I'm a grinder and the tougher it is, the better it is for me."

If Piller can win, it will be consecutive American golds -- the USA's Margaret Abbott won the last competition, a nine-hole event at the Paris Games in 1900.

- Pair of aces -

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More benign conditions -- and far more birdies -- prevailed Friday morning, however, and Ko's hole-in-one was not even the day's first.

China's Lin Xiyu beat her to it, also on the eighth.

Ko nearly had a second consecutive eagle on the par-four ninth, when her approach shot landed beyond the pin, spun back and nearly dropped in. She birdied.

Despite the hot start, Ko was unable to close further, managing only pars after the turn as the wind kicked up.

 

The women's tournament in Rio follows a men's event that concluded Sunday with Britain's Justin Rose winning the first Olympic gold medal since 1904.

Ko will be hoping to follow Rose's example by capping an ace with gold.

The Briton made the first hole-in-one in Olympic history on day one of the men's event on the 188-yard, par-three fourth.

"I almost didn't know how to react because it was my first one," Ko said of her ace.

"I would have loved to have done a dance and jumped up and down but I think in that situation I almost just wanted to cry."

More than 20 men's stars including the world's four highest-ranked players declined to play in golf's return to the Olympics, citing reasons ranging from the Zika virus to scheduling issues.

That has prompted questions about golf's Olympic staying power, which may have been silenced somewhat by Rose's thrilling final-hole win over Sweden's Henrik Stenson.

The women's event, however, has attracted all of the game's top players