The three women on the Olympic golf podium had something in common… and it wasn’t winning a medal!
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As Lydia Ko, Esther Henseleit, and Lin Xiyu celebrated their Olympic golf medals on the podium at Le Golf National, champagne corks were also being popped some 1,110 miles away from Paris in southern Denmark.
As a golf brand, the goal is always to see some of the world’s biggest players wearing your products. The ultimate goal, however, is to see them succeed in your products in front of a global audience, and, for one of the best golf shoes brands, that’s exactly what happened in Paris.
Ko added a sparkling jewel to the crown of a truly spectacular career as she secured the gold medal with a birdie at the 72nd hole on the testing course, which hosted a women’s tournament for the first time. The New Zealander’s Olympic victory adds to silver and bronze medals won at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 respectively, and also took the 27-year-old to the career total 27 points required for the coveted LPGA Hall of Fame.
“I kept telling myself, ‘I’m so proud of myself’. I don’t ever really say that. I feel like that’s a weird thing to tell yourself, but I kept saying I’m proud of myself no matter what happens. To be holding gold right now, it’s crazy. I can’t believe it,” an emotional Ko said after her victory.
She finished two shots ahead of Esther Henseleit, with the German star producing a birdie-birdie finish to shoot a six-under 66 and secure the silver medal.
“I had a bit of a struggle at the start into the back nine, but I managed to make some great pars, and then to finish birdie-birdie, is incredible,” the 25-year-old LET and LPGA star said.
A shot further back and taking home the bronze medal was China’s Lin Xiyu. The 28-year-old, who has three wins on the LET, shot a closing 69 to take her place on the podium.
But, other than an Olympic medal in Paris, what did all three women have in common? They won their medals while wearing hybrid ECCO Golf shoes.
Ko and Henseleit, who are ambassadors for the Scandinavian brand, were wearing ECCO Golf Tray and ECCO S-Three, respectively, while Xiyu, was wearing ECCO BIOM H4.
“Seeing all three Olympic medallists on the podium wearing ECCO GOLF shoes is a proud moment for everyone involved with the brand,” said Timo Vollrath, Head of Global Marketing at ECCO GOLF. “It highlights our commitment to providing golfers with the best possible footwear, allowing them to perform at their highest level on the biggest stages.
“Lydia Ko’s gold medal win and her induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame are moments we are incredibly honored to be a part of – we’re so proud of her.”
Michael Waack, Vice President of ECCO Golf, also voiced his delight and praised the Olympics as “momentous” for golf.
“We’re delighted that the three medallists competed wearing our shoes,” he said. “The emotional reaction to their successes truly shows that golf is more than a game for so many around the world.”
In addition to Ko and Henseleit, ECCO GOLF shoes are worn in competition around the world by Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Erik van Rooyen, Henrik Stenson, Freddy Schott and Thomas Bjørn, among others.
Find out more about the brand and all of the products at golf.ecco.com
About the Author
Rob specializes in the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the Ryder Cup, spending large chunks of his days reading about, writing about, and watching the tours each month.
He’s passionate about the equipment used by professional golfers and is also a font of knowledge regarding golf balls, rangefinders, golf trolleys, and golf bags, testing thousands down the years.
You can email Rob or get in touch with him on X.