I began to write the introductory paragraph for Friday as the back nine started to unfold. It looked like this: Round three was a tale of two cities: those who pushed farther, and those who did not. The leaders needed to push deeper, into the mid-60s, to preserve their margin of advantage. They failed to do as much. The chasers needed to go lower, to rein in the lead pack and give themselves a shot on Sunday. They did precisely that.

Oh, wait, scratch that. The 18th hole happened for some, and other, inward holes happened for others. That back nine at Le Golf National reveals some new face with each round played. One leader played it with just two pars. Two leaders made eagle three at the last.

Heading into round four, two co-leaders sit on minus-nine, with two more at minus-seven, and one more, another shot back. We learned about twenty things in the last half hour of play, but I’ll distill them down to a handful. Let’s take a look at the five things we learned on day three of the Paris 2024 Olympic Women’s golf competition.

Charley Hull with an outstanding long-range birdie putt on 12. ???

? Golf Channel and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/vcHHkdXwLh

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 9, 2024

1. Who stumbled?

Ruoning Yin (+3) and Pia Babnik (+2) did themselves no favors on Friday. Yin had six bogies on the day, while Babnik came undone at the 15th with a quadruple bogey. Each of Yin’s lost shots began with a drive lost to the rough. As for Babnik, her drive and first approach each found water on the 15th hole. Unsettled, she took another four shots to find cup bottom. Yin is five back of the leaders, while Babnik is seven behind. Logic suggests that each would need a course record to earn a place on the podium; with nothing to lose, either might go for broke and find riches.

2. Who soared?

Lydia Ko and Miya Yamashita each posted 68 on day three. Ko lost two shots to wayward approach shots. At holes seven and twelve, she found the fairway off the tee, then foozled her inward play. She made up for those mistakes in spades with six birdies. Most important: she avoided all of the H2O coming home. Yamashita signed for the day’s most boring scorecard. Four birdies, fourteen pars, no traipses along the cliffs of doom, no swims in the ponds. Precisely the sort of play that might win her a medal on Sunday. Ko moved to a tie for first, while Yamashita holds down a tie for third.

Just behind each is Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand. Thitikul nearly matched those 68s with a 69 of her own. An erratic outward nine of three pars, birdies, and bogies, was followed by a homeward side of three birdies and zero bogies. A missed putt from 12 feet at the last brough Thitikul into solo sixth position, at six under par.

Atthaya Thitikul hits a phenomenal approach from 147 out on 10. ???

? Golf Channel and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/5T4jYKgIkY

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 9, 2024

3. Fly like an Eagle, Eagle, Eagle

Second-round leader Morgane Metraux was stitching, leaking oil, building up lactic acid … whatever you wish to call it. Three bogies over holes ten through thirteen had her wondering, do I have what it takes? Birdie at the 14th stanched the wound, and came 18. A mighty eagle at the home hole, thanks to a fairway drive and an approach to twenty feet, brought her up to a tie with Lydia Ko for the pole position.

If Metraux is able to ignore, and even forget, her position on day four, she might steal a medal on Saturday. As with the stumblers, nothing offers more opportunity for success, than a go-for-broke attitude over the final eighteen holes.

“I got nothin’ to say to this one.” – John Wood (@johnwould) ???

Rose Zhang hits an ELITE second shot to set up eagle on 18!

? Golf Channel and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/Kit0xwSXvF

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 9, 2024

4. Topsy-Turvy

Celine Boutier carries more weight of expectation than anyone not named Nelly this week. After opening with 65, the French hope has struggled over two days. She recovered on Friday with one-under 71, but finds herself in a tie for seventh, five back of the leading duo.

Nothing defines Boutier’s current state of affairs like her second nine on day the third. She opened positively, with par and two birdies setting her up for a fine finish. Triple bogey at 13 derailed that engine, and bogey at the 15th threatened to send it back to the yard. Boutier breathed deep and dug deeper, closing with birdies at the final three holes, to head to day the fourth with optimism.

????? Céline Boutier finit sa journée à -1 avec 3 birdies sur les 3 derniers trous. Un triple bogey au 13 aura un peu gâché une belle journée.
?? Elle est à 3 coups du podium et à 5 de la tête avant la dernière journée.#Paris2024 #Golf pic.twitter.com/J0SG99Sdzx

— AurelBlaiz (@aurelblaiz) August 9, 2024

5. Who is dangerous on Saturday?

Boutier could potentially bookedn 65s. If she did so, she could reach the podium. Nelly Korda has not gone below 70 yet, so Sunday portends to either be 62 or 82. If she is oh-so-close and can flip the switch, watch out. If she is oh-so-frustrated and loses composure, duck. Either way, she’ll provide some memorable, day-four moments.

I also conside Thitikul to be dangerous on Saturday, and Janet Lin’s stock is rising. Despite all those fine names, I’m going to predict an Andean triumph at Paris. Mariajo Uribe will ride off into the international sunset with a closing 63, and gold medal draped around her neck, cloaked in a Colombian flag.

Xiyu Janet Lin chips in for birdie from the rough on 3. ???

? Golf Channel and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/sZgPDINpFr

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 9, 2024