Olympics-Golf-Women golfers find inspiration as Games take hold

By Gus Trompiz

GUYANCOURT, France (Reuters) - The medallists in the women's golf tournament at the Paris Games took inspiration from sporting greats and loved ones to achieve Olympic glory that increasingly resonates with the top players.

Like their male peers, who played a week earlier at Le Golf National south of Paris, the top names in women's golf felt the full Olympic experience for the first time after the sport's tentative return in Rio and a COVID-affected Tokyo event.

New Zealand's Lydia Ko won gold on Saturday, holding her nerve in a tense finish to complete her medal set at her final Games.

The 27-year-old said she took on board a phrase that U.S. gymnast Simone Biles coined in a documentary on her return to the Games in Paris: "I get to write my own ending."

"I kept telling myself that I wanted to be the one that was going to control my fate and the ending to this week," Ko said after her win.

Bronze medallist Lin Xiyu, who also calls herself Janet Lin, was helped by China's previous Olympic golf medallist, Feng Shanshan.

Anxious before leaving for Paris, Lin said she called Rio bronze medallist Feng, who cleared her mind by telling her to go for a medal.

"I feel like that conversation was really important to me, that just narrowed everything down," Lin said.

Esther Henseleit, whose silver was a first Olympic women's golf medal for Germany and Europe, was able to share her unexpected success with boyfriend and caddie Reece Philips, including when she waited to see if Ko would catch her clubhouse score.

The 60-strong field in the Paris women's golf event was treated to buoyant crowds like the men, with French players again roared on, particularly Celine Boutier after she grabbed the first-round lead.

The enthusiastic support drew parallels with the Solheim Cup, the Europe-U.S. team event in the women's game, but players said the atmosphere was unlike anything they had experienced.

The Paris Games also saw Colombia's Mariajo Uribe end her professional career, cheered on by compatriots for whom she said the Olympics mean more than golf.

(Reporting by Gus Trompiz; Editing by Ken Ferris)