Hannah Green – during practice this week – image PGA Tour / IGF
Perth’s Hannah Green enters tomorrow’s opening round of the Women’s Olympic competition as Australasia’s highest world-ranked golfer (6th) following a year that has seen her win two LPGA Tour titles and sit in 3rd place in the Race to the Globe standings, she will start her second Olympic campaign as one of the favourites for a medal.
Green heads Minjee Lee (13th) and Lydia Ko (21st) in world ranking, passing both during the course of this season and while her form of late has not been quite as hot as it was earlier in the season, she stands out as a genuine prospect for Australia’s first ever Olympic medal.
Today Green, along with Lee, faced the media as she discussed the week ahead and just how she feels about representing Australia for the second occasion.
“It’s different this time because I guess I’ve only been to Tokyo. So obviously COVID time was a little bit different. We didn’t get to the Village when we were there in 2020, so Minjee and I got to experience that on Saturday here.
“It’s nice to see the men and how big the crowds were and obviously the atmosphere with Le Golf National kind of already has a really nice — with how the golf course is set for everyone to come and watch. I’m excited to see the crowds.
“As soon as I left Tokyo, I wanted to make sure that I was on the Olympic team, even three years out, obviously it doesn’t matter the rankings.
“But I wanted to make sure I was playing consistently and playing well in the lead up. Tokyo just had such a different atmosphere because of Covid restrictions, having those few spectators and having the whole Aussie team being my only little cheer squad, but it’s going to be very different here in France.”
The Australian captain this week, Karrie Webb, has played a part in the lives of both Green and Lee and Green highlighted that point.
“In my opinion, she’s the greatest golfer to come out of Australia. So to have her scholarship opportunity, also. Both of us have been recipients of that and so we have been able to go to the U.S. Open with her and shadow her the entire week. That was at Lancaster when we last played and this year was actually able to be inside the ropes when we played the U.S. Open.
“But that was a week where I kind of was like, I need to work a lot harder if I want to do this for a living. Perhaps if I did not have that opportunity, I may not have had the achievements. I may have still been a professional golfer but maybe not worked as hard or felt as motivated in that sense. Yeah, it’s really cool to have Webby as captain this week.”
When asked why the Olympics have typically produced a high-quality winner, perhaps even more so than a regular major Green would say;
“Because you’re playing for a Gold Medal, that’s more rare, and that probably gets more on your nerves than perhaps winning a major. Don’t get me wrong, you’re going to be nervous trying to win a major championship. Because it’s obviously one in four years might add more pressure, but perhaps for those who have experience winning major championships, it might be just a little bit easier for them. I’m not sure.”
There has been much conjecture as to whether golf actually deserves a place in the Olympics and how the current format might be tweaked to have a greater impact and Green has thoughts on that issue.
“I do think that’s where it would be cool to do some sort of team event, just say I’m coming dead last, my score counts towards Minjee’s, not only to win a Gold but to have some sort of team environment would be cool between the players. Obviously that’s difficult because not every country is represented by two people.
“But I think if they perhaps did that with the men, a mixed event and scores counted that way. There are many opportunities and so many ways they can go about it. But obviously trying to fit that within our schedules on both the PGA TOUR and LPGA and LET and everybody’s schedule would be difficult.”
Green finished tied for 5th in Tokyo but given her current form and increased experience she may well even better what was an excellent Olympic debut.
