T he last OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION was a leading indicator for its two gold medallists: Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda have each reached even greater heights in 2024. What will the games in Paris portend for the collection of world athletes hoping to challenge the marquee favourites – both of whom are back to defend. Will ascendent young star Ruoning Yin extend China’s traditional strengths in diving, weightlifting, table tennis and gymnastics and win the country’s first golf gold medal? Will Frenchman Victor Perez build on the game’s momentum in the host country that started with the 2018 Ryder Cup? Can a player like the Philippines’ Bianca Pagdanganan energise an Olympics-mad fan base in her non-traditional golf country the way Aditi Ashok did in Tokyo in 2021? Meet Yin, Perez and Pagdanganan along with Poland’s Adrian Meronk and Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela – five players with very different journeys to Le Golf National on August 1 (men’s competition) and August 7 (women’s competition).
RUONING YIN
Chinese player to rise to the top of the game since Shanshan Feng in 2017. Yin also will be one of the favourites to expand China’s medal-winning dominance beyond its traditional power in diving, weightlifting, table tennis and gymnastics – even if she isn’t quite ready to wrap her head around that possibility. “It’s an honour to represent your home country and especially to wear that shirt with the national flag on it.”
AGE 21, KUNMING, CHINA
‘I FEEL LIKE IF YOU FINISH OUTSIDE THE TOP THREE, YOU MISS THE CUT.’
There’s nothing subtle about the way Ruoning Yin exploded into professional golf as a teenager. The tiny-but-mighty 5-foot-2 powerhouse won her first three events as a pro on the China LPGA Tour, then won twice as a teenager on the LPGA Tour – including her first major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. The moment wasn’t too big for her to reach No 1 in the world in late 2023 before Korda began her recent run. But the Olympics? That’s another story. “It’s already giving me goosebumps,” says Yin, who averages 265 yards (242m) off the tee to go with upper-echelon ball- striking and short game. “I feel a bit of pressure to compete because I feel like if you finish outside the top three, you miss the cut, but I will try to enjoy it because it’s my first time – enjoy the journey and the process and try not to focus on the result.” Her results during her
first two LPGA seasons are what have made her more than a known name in sports-mad China: She’s now getting recognised on the street when walking in her mother’s hometown by fans who want an interaction with the first
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 63
JULY/AUGUST 2024
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