Catriona Matthew admits Rio medal hopes are all but gone

Catriona Matthew has slipped off the pace in the Olympic golf tournament. Picture: Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

Day three saw China’s Xiyu Lin write her name into the history books as she became the first woman to hit a hole in one at an Olympics when she aced the par-three eighth hole.

And it appeared it was catching as shortly afterwards teenage sensation Lydia Ko of New Zealand repeated the feat on the same hole. But Matthew found the going far tougher, carding a six-over-par 77  having made just one birdie.

The real damage was done on the par-four 12th as Matthew struggled in a bunker and ended up with a triple bogey. And the 46-year-old Scot admitted she failed to pick herself back up after that hole in the windy conditions.

“It was pretty windy out there and it was a bit of a struggle,” Matthew said. “I just didn’t play particularly well.

“I obviously had a terrible hole out there at the 12th with a triple [bogey] and I am obviously disappointed. You knew it was going to be a tough test out there as the wind was blowing around and it proved that. On 12 my tee shot just rolled into the bunker, then I hit the face and played out and still had 200 yards to the flag and still took another three shots from there. Take that out and it’s not a disastrous round, but that kind of deflated me after that and that was me out of it after that hole so it was a bit of a struggle coming in at the end there.”

Having ended the second round just five shots off the lead, Matthew now finds herself heading into the final day tied for 26th on one-over par, 12 shots behind leader Inbee Park of South Korea and ten off a medal.

And she conceded that her chances of following in the footsteps of Justin Rose, who won the men’s competition last Sunday, are all but over.

“It’s been great playing the Olympics and I have enjoyed it, I am just disappointed with this third round,” Matthew added. “I am too far back now if I am being honest. I would probably need ten under in my last round. It is possible but it will be a struggle.”

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