Meadow and ill Maguire shoot best rounds of week published at 14:01 BST 10 August 2024
Image source, Getty Images/InphoLeona Maguire carded a closing 71 as it was revealed that she had suffered fly symptoms all week in Paris as Stephanie Meadow went one better with a two-under-par 70
Stephanie Meadow and Leona Maguire both produced their best rounds of the week by some distance on the final day on the Women's Olympic golf but the damage had long been done by the Team Ireland duo in relation to their medal hopes.
Meadow carded a closing two-under-par 70 which left in 39th place on six over par at Le Golf National.
After her horrible 83 on Friday which included quadruple and triple bogeys in successive holes on the back nine, it was revealed that Maguire has been suffering with 'flu symptoms all week which offered an explanation for the Cavan woman's struggles which began with opening rounds of 78 and 79.
The Europe Solheim Cup star regrouped with a 71 on Saturday but was unable to improve her position in the field as she was last of the 59 finishers on 23 over par, with Finland's Noora Komulainen having withdrawn.
Maguire mixed four birdies with three bogeys in her closing round.
Meadow, who had shot previous rounds of 78, 74 and 72, carded five birdies and three bogeys as she played her closing six holes in two under by picking up shots at the 14th and 17th.
New Zealand's former world number one Lydia Ko took the gold medal after a closing 71 left her on 10 under.
Ko and Switzerland's Morgane Metraux led the field on nine under going into the final day but the Swiss player dropped five shots in her opening seven holes which included a triple bogey seven at the seventh and eventually signed for a 79 which left him in a share of 18th place on two under.
Germany's Esther Henseleit finished on eight under to take the silver medal with China's Janet Lin Xiyn earning bronze a further stroke back.
