Cathryn Bristow is hoping to join Lydia Ko on the Kiwi team at the Rio Olympics. Photo / Getty
Cathryn Bristow is a mammoth 429 places behind Lydia Ko in the world golf rankings but right now she's in a position to join the world No 1 in the elite, 60-strong field at the Rio Olympics.
The formula used to narrow the field for Rio means each country is
allowed a maximum of four players so when all the Koreans, Americans and Japanese are crossed out Bristow's world ranking of 430 become No. 56 on the Olympic ranking system.
Whether she can hold her place in the top-60 Olympic rankings when they close on July 11 is one thing; the other is whether the New Zealand Olympic Committee will pick her in the team. The NZOC could argue Bristow might now meet the criteria of being a good chance to finish inside the top-16.
New Zealand Golf could counter with two words: Michael Campbell, who won the2005 US Open after only just scraping into the field. And golf is littered with other major winners who've had the week of their lives to win against the odds.
Bristow, 31, is also in the best form of her life. She won the Anita Boon pro-am in Auckland late last year before taking out back-to-back pro-am events in Australia ahead of finishing in a tie for 11th at the Victoria Open last week.
