Azahara Muñoz: “I’m proud because I haven’t given up”

Carlota Ciganda: “We have to keep fighting, there’s no other option”

Yin and Yang. One day good, the next bad. Or vice versa. The Spanish team's performance in the first two days of the women's Olympic tournament has been characterized by alternating roles, which has resulted in the absence, for the moment, of a truly positive run of play.

In this second round, Azahara Muñoz's face reflected relief. After the difficulties of the first day and a challenging score that demanded correction, the golfer from Malaga completed the second round with a hopeful 3 under par, nipping any hint of a bad run in the bud. "I'm happy, yes, the feeling is very good. On this course, a round under par is a good result. I started like a rocket, with three consecutive birdies.".

Azahara Muñoz found the formula to eliminate negative thoughts from her mind and focus on the positive aspects, which of course were the majority in the second round: “I’m proud because I didn’t fall apart. It’s not that I played much worse yesterday than today, but this time there weren’t any shots that penalized me so much.”.

The golfer from Malaga showcased her ability to react – ”It was very important to overcome the two bogeys on the 7th and 8th with a birdie on the 9th“ – taking advantage of the positive momentum generated by the Swiss player Morgane Metraux, who carded a 6-under round with an 8-under-par first nine holes: ”which I think is history. Textbook, I couldn't have done better. You see that it can be done so well and that helps.”.

Her teammate Carlota Ciganda fared much worse, accumulating seven bogeys in her round in a performance that was as painful as it was unusual. “A tough day, no doubt. In the first round I didn't feel like I played so badly, but in the second half I couldn't hit the fairways, I had to get the ball out however I could… These are days when things just don't go your way,” the Navarrese golfer admitted frankly.

“I’ve been making a lot of bogeys for the past month, I don’t know what’s going on. This is a tough course and it’s hard to make few bogeys. The goal is to finish under par at the end of the tournament, we have to keep fighting, there’s no other option.”

Nelly Korda and the aura emanating from her impressive list of achievements

The fact that the men's competition ended in the hands of American Scottie Scheffler, who is also the world number one, has shifted the focus to American Nelly Korda and her chances of repeating this important feat in the women's tournament. Korda, the number one ranked woman, arrives in Paris as the defending champion of the title she won at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and with six LPGA Tour victories in 2024, five of them consecutive, tying that record on the Women's PGA Tour. She is currently in 12th place at 2-under par, a score that could have been much better had it not been for a double bogey and a bogey on her last two holes.

Celine Boutier, the great local hope

The clear leader after the first day, and sixth after the second, France's Celine Boutier is the great hope of the local fans, who have strongly supported her and her partner Perrine Delacour in these first two rounds of competition. Celine Boutier had the best season of her career in 2023, when she achieved four victories, including a significant win at The Amundi Evian Championship in her home country. A six-time winner on the LPGA Tour and a three-time member of the European Solheim Cup team, Celine Boutier has been training regularly at Le Golf National in recent weeks.

Marioajo Uribe says goodbye to his sports career

Currently fourth, one of the standout players of the first two days, just 4 strokes behind the Swiss Morgane Metraux, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games mark the end of Mariajo Uribe's sporting career, as announced by the Colombian golfer, who has participated in three consecutive Olympic Games.

A rookie on the LPGA in 2010, Marioajo Uribe secured her Olympic qualification in Paris after winning her first Ladies European Tour title at the Women's NSW Open last March. In November 2023, she won the silver medal for Colombia at the Pan American Games, her third medal in a prolific career. The Colombian, one of four mothers competing in this women's Olympic tournament, gave birth to her son Lucca in January 2021.

Five consecutive weeks of playing and the value of the Olympics on social media

Fourteenth with a score of one under par, Aditi Ashok is the player with the most consecutive tournaments at this year's Paris Olympics. The Indian golfer has now competed in five consecutive tournaments, including the Games, a remarkable feat. Her presence in Paris carries a curious family connection: her father carried her bag in Rio de Janeiro 2016, her mother in Tokyo 2020, and her father again in Paris 2024. Furthermore, Aditi Ashok's popularity on social media has skyrocketed, with a 2041% increase in followers on account X and an 8731% increase on Instagram, as she is a very popular figure in India.

The additional privileges of winning an Olympic gold medal

Beyond the inherent and enduring glory of winning an Olympic gold medal, the woman who stands atop the podium at the end of the tournament will receive a number of exciting additional benefits, including a berth in the 2024 AIG Women's Open, the 2025 Chevron Championship, the 2025 U.S. Women's Open, the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, and the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship. Furthermore, the winner earns points toward induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame, in addition to accumulating a significant number of points in the Ladies World Golf Ranking.