Mariajo Uribe hits a tee shot on Wednesday at Le Golf Nationwide.
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Certainly, Mariajo Uribe is reconsidering.
Her begin Wednesday should have satisfied her. She birdied 1. And a pair of. And 4 at Le Golf Nationwide. She was rolling. But when that hadn’t executed the trick, her end would’ve. On the demanding par-5 18th, she birdied once more. And when issues had been wrapped up after day one on the Olympics, Uribe was tied for third, 5 pictures from the highest.
She couldn’t probably comply with by means of now on what she’d pledged, proper?
Nope, nonetheless is.
Come Saturday, no matter whether or not a gold, silver or bronze medal is hanging round her neck, Uribe’s retiring.
“I imply, considered one of my idols is Lorena Ochoa,” Uribe mentioned, “and she or he went out as No. 1 on the planet, and I all the time thought that was so nice, like simply ending on a excessive be aware.
“This 12 months has been actually particular for me, and to complete with week right here would make it a fair higher retirement week.”
Unexpectedly, it’s been considerably like a multi-year victory lap for Uribe.
The 34-year-old from Colombia had been prepared to hold up her golf footwear after the 2020 Video games in Tokyo. It was time, she felt. In 2007, Uribe gained the U.S. Girls’s Am. In school, at UCLA, she was a two-time first-team All-American. In July of 2009, Uribe turned professional, and she or he’s gained over $2 million on the LPGA Tour, with 14 profession prime 10s to her identify. However then the 2020 Olympics had been postponed a 12 months resulting from Covid. And within the months earlier than these rescheduled Video games, she had a child boy.
So she performed on, with a watch on this 12 months.
“We determined as a household to offer it one other attempt for Paris,” Uribe mentioned. “So it’s been 4 years too lengthy already.
“So I’m prepared for it, however I’m excited for the week to come back.”
After all, Uribe nonetheless wanted to qualify for the Video games, and, as you possibly can surmise, the story will get higher. In March, in quest of wanted factors, she entered the Girls’s NSW Open in Australia — the place she birdied her ultimate gap to win the Girls European Tour occasion by a stroke.
Previous to that, she’d gained as soon as professionally, on the 2011 HSBC Brazil Cup, which was an unofficial LPGA occasion.
This Olympic golfer is prohibited from smoking. Has it damage her possibilities?
“I’ve felt inner strain for positive as a result of it takes braveness to come back right here too,” Uribe informed the Girls European Tour web site after the victory. “I’m not a member, so to write down the emails and attempt to get invitations. You would possibly come right here, and also you may not make the minimize.
“Even final 12 months, I performed on the LET and LET Entry Collection to get some alternatives to play. We are going to see, however I’m fairly positive this may clutch it out and I might be in Paris for now. My husband is joyful as a result of I don’t should do a loopy schedule anymore. It’s good to get a win after so a few years, it’s a pleasant icing on the cake.”
There is likely to be extra.
Wednesday was particular. The early birdies. The late one, which helped her bounce again from a bogey on 17. She additionally led the sector in driving distance, at 283 yards, although not on the expense of accuracy — she hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens. The spherical adopted a tie for fiftieth on the 2021 Video games, and a tie for nineteenth on the 2016 Video games in Rio, the place golf was a part of the Olympic schedule for the primary time since 1904.
“I had a good spherical, some not so nice errors and bogeys I shouldn’t have made,” Uribe mentioned. “However I’m proper in there. I do know I can shoot low. It’s a must to hit it good off the tee right here, and my driver is fairly good proper now.
“So simply keep in competition. After all a medal might be nice, however simply take pleasure in this week and see what occurs.”
However no, she says she’s re-evaluating.
After Paris, she says she’s going to say au revoir.
“That is my third Olympics, however Paris feels totally different,” Uribe mentioned. “The ambiance is unbelievable. Watching the fellows end on Sunday was nice. The crowds are wonderful. I’m not part of Solheim Cup, however that is most likely the closest I’m going to get to. The course is unbelievable.
“I’m actually proud of the choice I made, and it’s been a tremendous week to date.”
