Golf-Olympics on Green's mind after second LPGA win of the season
FILE PHOTO: Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Golf – Women’s Individual – Final – Round 4 – Kasumigaseki Country Club – Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan – August 7, 2021. Hannah Green of Australia looks on. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
(Reuters) – Hannah Green says she is not yet banking on a return to the Olympics in Paris later this year even though her second LPGA tournament win of the season at the weekend makes it a near certainty.
The 27-year-old became Australia’s top-ranked women’s golfer at world number eight on Monday after a three-stroke victory in her title defence at the LA Championship in California on Sunday.
Her triumph at the Wilshire Country Club came on the back of her win at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore last month and means she is highly likely to team up with world number nine Minji Lee to represent Australia in Paris.
“It’s definitely been on my mind,” Green said of the Aug. 7-10 tournament at Le Golf National in Guyancourt.
“Obviously still have six or seven weeks until the team is announced, so still a lot that can happen between now and then. Now that I’ve had two wins in the season, obviously this … solidifies my spot, but I don’t want to assume I’m on the team.
“Whatever I do between now and then, I’m just going to try and play my best golf and hope to make that team.”
Green finished in a tie for fifth at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, four shots behind American gold medallist Nelly Korda.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)