Inbee Park with her gold medal after winning the women's Olympic golf event at Rio 2016.
Inbee Park with her gold medal after winning the women's Olympic golf event at Rio 2016.
Scott Halleran/Getty Images South America/Getty Images

Story highlights

Inbee Park wins women's golf gold in Rio

South Korean five shots clear of Lydia Ko

Feng Shanshan of China claims bronze

CNN  — 

Inbee Park has seven major titles to her name, a career grand slam and is a former world No 1.

Now the South Korean can add the title of first Olympic champion in women’s golf since 1900 to her CV after holding off the challenge of world No. 1 Lydia Ko and China’s Feng Shanshan at Rio 2016.

Park recorded a five-under-par 66 Saturday to finish on 16-under-par 268 for the week and a convincing five shots clear of New Zealand’s Ko in the silver medal position.

Day 15 – Follow all of Saturday’s action

“I feel extremely honored and proud that I get to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games,” world No. 5 Park said.

“It feels truly unreal. I am just so happy to be standing on the highest spot on the podium. I have won many tournaments but I have never felt this before.”

Park qualified for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame this year, but has struggled with form and injury in recent months and missed July’s British Open.

Read: Final-hole decider for men’s gold

Her triumph pushed South Korea closer to its pre-Games medal target and eighth in the overall table.

“I think we were hoping for a 10th-place finish this Olympics and hopefully my gold medal will help us go into the top 10.”

USA's Allyson Felix celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win the Women's 4x400m Relay Final during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 20, 2016. / AFP / OLIVIER MORIN (Photo credit should read OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/Getty Images)
USA's Allyson Felix celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win the Women's 4x400m Relay Final during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 20, 2016. / AFP / OLIVIER MORIN (Photo credit should read OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/Getty Images)
OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/Getty Images
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Related gallery Rio Olympics: Day 15

Lydia Ko of New Zealand poses with the golf ball she used to make a hole-in-one in Rio.
Lydia Ko of New Zealand poses with the golf ball she used to make a hole-in-one in Rio.
Scott Halleran/Getty Images South America/Getty Images

Related article Olympic golf: Lydia Ko scores 'perfect' hole-in-one at Rio 2016

Park started the day two shots clear of Ko, whose career-first hole-in-one Friday had helped push her into contention, and one further clear of Feng.

But with Ko and Feng only able to notch two-under-par 69 Saturday, Park’s superior form on the day was always going to secure gold.

Japan’s Harukyo Nomura carded 65 but just missed out on the medal positions in a tie for fourth with Stacey Lewis of the US – who matched Park’s 66 – and South Korea’s Hee Young Yang.

World No. 3 Brooke Henderson tied for seventh with Britain’s Charley Hull and Australian Minjee Lee, as the 18-year-old Canadian closed with 67.

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Russia’s Maria Verchenova shot a hole-in-one on the par-three fourth hole as she carded a course-record 62 also featuring nine birdies.

The 30-year-old climbed up the leaderboard to tie for 16th on four under par.