Korea's Lee Soyoung Wins Gold At Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games

2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games - Day 5
NANJING, CHINA - AUGUST 21: (L-R) Silver medalist Ssu-Chia Cheng of Chinese Taipei, Gold medalist Soyoung Lee of Korea and Bronze medalist Supamas Sangchan of Thailand celebrate during the medal ceremony after the Women's Individual Stroke Play on day five of the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games at Zhongshan International Golf Club on August 21, 2014 in Nanjing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
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Lee Soyoung played a near perfect final round to claim the Gold Medal in the Women’s Individual Stroke Play competition at the Youth Olympic Games at Zhongshan International Golf Club today.

With no bogies and seven birdies the 17-year-old Korean shot 65 to finish 14-under-par and three ahead of her nearest rival Chinese Taipei’s Cheng Ssu-Chia, who won the Silver Medal.

Supamas Sangchan, from Thailand, finished four shots further back to claim the Bronze. The three medalists finished clear of the field with Virginia Elena Carta of Italy and Germany’s Olivia Cowan next best placed on two-under-par.

Lee played brilliantly in the final round, going out in 32 strokes for the front nine with birdies at the first, fourth, sixth and seventh before carrying that form into her final nine holes with a further three birdies on the 13th, 15th and 18th.

Lee said, “I was trying hard not to think about the Gold Medal. I played really solid today and made seven birdies and no bogies.

“To win the first Olympic Gold Medal in golf in more than 100 years, even though it is the Youth Olympic Games, is an amazing feeling.”

Cheng matched Lee for much of the final round but couldn’t claw back the two-shot gap between them at the start of the day and after failing to pick up a shot on the par 3 17th she failed to match Lee’s birdie at the 18th to finish three shots behind.

She said, “I was hoping to win a medal before I came here. A Silver makes me very happy. I played with Lee before, we know each other. She is a really good player. I congratulate her, she played really well.

“I’m looking forward to the mixed team event. We should have a good chance. We have some chemistry between each other and both of us played well here this week.”

Thailand’s Supamas Sangchan closed with solid round of 70 to take the Bronze, a feat matched by her countryman Danthai Boonma in the Men’s competition.  The 18-year-old Supamas, from Panya Indra Golf Club, Bangkok, has won amateur events in Malaysia and Singapore this year and was delighted to add the Bronze Medal to her trophy cabinet.

“I feel happy. I thought today would be better but this is enough for me,” she said.

“Before the day started, I was feeling excited because this is the final day.  I couldn’t close the gap on Lee and Cheng, they played great. The result is OK for me.”

For the full leaderboard in the Youth Olympic Games Women’s Individual Stroke Play Competition please visit:

http://www.nanjing2014.org/en/en_sports/GamestimeResults.htm.

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