The women take center stage in the golf world this week in Saitama, Japan, an hour northwest of Tokyo, as each of them tries to capture the coveted Gold Medal in Olympic Golf. Highly decorated South Korean golfer Inbee Park is the defending gold medalist having won at Rio in 2016. New Zealander Lydia Ko won the Silver and Shanshan Feng of China was the bronze medalist.

Kasumigaseki Country Club East Course hosted the men last week with American Xander Schauffele taking home the gold to the U.S. Brownie picked Xander to win the silver, so he made a good pick almost getting it exactly right. What do they say about horse shoes and hand grenades, MB. Just kiddin. Good job. Forty five year old Rory Sabatini came out of nowhere and won the silver. Xander shot -18 and Sabbatini shot -17. C.T. Pan of Taiwan won the bronze in a 7 man playoff. All 7 finished at -15.

The course is playing 6,648 yards and a par 71.

Now it’s the women who get their turn. Wow, they’re going to be battling the elements. Wednesday, the high is 97, sunny, winds, S 10-15. Thursday, 98, sunny, winds, E 10-15. Friday, 95, PM T-storms, winds ENE 10-15. Saturday. 91, T-storms, ESE10-15. So the ladies need to hunker down in their respective attempts to win the gold, silver and bronze.

TV

Today-Friday, 5:30 PM-2 AM CT, Golf Channel. There is an extra 30 minutes of broadcast time in the final round for the medal ceremony.

Odds according to BETMGM

Nelly Korda, 7-1

Inbee Park and Jin Young Ko, 10-1

Danielle Kang, 12-1

Hyo Joo KIm and Sei Young KIm, 14-1

Ariya Jutanugarn and Nasa Hotaoka, 16-1

Lydia Ko, 18-1

Brooke Henderson, Minjee Lee and Patty Tavatanakit 20-1

Medalists

I’m going to take the just turned 23 year old from Bradenton, Florida, July 28th, to capture the gold. She just won her first major at the Women’s PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club in late June of this year, and I like her with the pressure on.

Gold, Nelly Korda

Silver

I’ll take the 24 year old, born in Seoul, South Korea but representing New Zealand, to capture the Silver Medal for the second Olympiad in a row. She just won her first tournament in almost three years to the day in April when she captured the Lotte Championship in Hawaii. She’s a 2 time major winner at the 2015 Evian Championship and the 2016 ANA Inspiration. She’s got a real shot.

Lydia Ko

Bronze

I’ll go with the 28 year old from SF, CA. Her last victory came at the Marathon Classic in August of 2020 in Sylvaina, Ohio and she has won a major, the 2017 Women’s PGA Championship, played at Olympia Fields in Illinois, a storied venue where Jim Furyk won the 2003 U.S. Open. I’ll take the youngish, talented American.

Danielle Kang