Kasumigazeki hosts Olympic ladies golf

Let’s take a look at the Brits and the Dutch

The par-71 Kasumigazeki Country Club in Japan plays host to a field of 60-women golfers this week (4-7 August) as the Olympic Women’s Strokeplay Championship begins. It is the second time in the last five years that this Major of all Majors has been played. Alas, there was a twelve month delay in Tokyo for the games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But that does not take anything away from how special this event is for the ladies. It was way back in 1904 that golf was part of the Olympic package.

There is no halfway cut for the weekend so a limited field of 60 players gives everyone a chance of victory. I’m particularly keen to see how Great Britain and Holland fare in this once in four years event. Great Britain has two players in search of a medal. Both are 33-year olds with Melissa Reid from Derby and Jodi Ewart Shadoff from Northallerton. Teeing-up for Holland is 25-year old Anne van Dam. The player born in Arnhem turned golf professional in 2015.

First the British girls. It was back in 2011 that I met Melissa Reid for the second time during the Deloitte Ladies Open in Holland. She won the event at Broekpolder GC. Alas, her will to win then was eclipsed by the death of her mother in a car accident. After a few years of losing her goal in golf, Reid went on to win six European Tour events and one event in the USA. A triumph for her now in the Olympics would give a significant boost to her golf career.

What about Jodie Ewart Shadoff? Born in Northallerton, Shadoff also had a sporty career as a child especially with a keen interest in football just like Melissa Reid. Her parents are involved with horseracing. But it was her grandfather who introduced her to golf and to her coach.

Anne van Dam is the most successful Dutch lady golfer on the European Tour, although she now plays most of her golf on the LPGA Tour in America since 2019. Five victories on the Ladies European Tour and a Solheim Cup appearance have catapulted her into this prime position. Christel Boeljon was the best ladies champion before her with four victories and two Solheim Cup appearances.

So how are the girls doing in the Olympics in Tokyo?

Kasumigazeki Country Club showed its claws today with Sweden’s Madelene Sagström taking the outright lead with a 5-under par 66. The Number One Player in the Rolex World Rankings, Nelly Korda from America, is one shot behind on 67. India’s Aditi Ashok shares second place with her. Three players are tied for fourth on 68: Matilda Castren (Finland), Jin Young Ko (South Korea) and another familiar face from my Deloitte Ladies Open days in Holland, Carlota Ciganda (Spain).

Further down the leaderboard you’ll find the British and Dutch trio. Melissa Reid is in a tie for 41st with a two-over par 73. Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Anne van Dam are both in a share of tie 47th with 74.

Now an 8-shot difference between the leader and these three players sounds pretty enormous. But when you consider that C.T.Pan flew home with a bronze medal after a play-off with six other players in the men’s Olympic Games. He opened his four rounds at Kasumigazeki Country Club in Saitama with an extraordinarily high score of 3-over par 74 followed by 66, 66, 63. So everything is possible!

Enjoy the golf and may the best player win!

Wendy Hoad