RIO DE JANEIRO — While architect Gil Hanse was on a tight schedule to complete the Olympic Golf Course in time, including dealing with finance disputes and legal issues involving a land dispute and the environment, he made sure to get the exact ending he wanted.
With risk and reward dashing through his mind as he carved the course out of a former sand quarry, Hanse delivered a closing three-hole stretch that will likely determine who stands where on the podium at the conclusion of Sunday’s final round. Part of the stretch definitely will decide things if there is a playoff, for the extra session will start on 18, move to 1, then 18 again if necessary, then 1 and then 17.