World No.7 Green enters the Paris Olympics starting later this month in rich form, with two LPGA Tour wins this season.
“Because it’s more rare, I think it (Olympic gold) would have to be probably higher than a major,” Green told Golf Australia magazine on Tuesday.
“I have been playing well this year so I do have expectations and I want to get a gold medal, I want to have a podium finish.”
Green, who won her major at the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship, is the only golfer apart from World No.1 Nelly Korda with multiple LPGA victories this year.
“I have been playing well … obviously it’s nice to have won two trophies,” she said.
“But I have been more consistent this year even though I have had a couple of weekends where I haven’t made the cut.
“The difference is my bad playing has been better this year.
Hannah Green is already a major champion, but says an Olympic gold medal would rank higher than her 2019 PGA Championship victory. PHOTO: Getty Images.
“I felt like I still played solid last year with some good results but … I just feel mentally a little bit more fresh than perhaps I have in other seasons.
“I was definitely very motivated in January, February, getting ready for the start of the season and the Olympics this year was another goal of mine.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself because it is hard, sometimes golf courses suit your eyes and I haven’t seen this golf course yet.”
Green, who tied for fifth at the Tokyo Olympics of 2021, planned to study footage from the 2018 Ryder Cup at the Olympic venue, Le Golf National in Guyancourt.
The 27-year-old will also arrive earlier than she would for an LPGA event so she can watch in person the final rounds of the preceding men’s tournament.
The men’s event starts on August 1 with the women’s tournament beginning on August 7.
“It’s tricky – sometimes it’s a good thing, sometimes it’s a bad thing,” Green said of not playing a course prior to competing on it.
“I feel like sometimes the courses you have played before you obviously know where to hit it.
“But then also when you play it so many times you know where not to hit it and that is something that mentally you just try and block out but sometimes it’s just not possible.
“So it might actually be not a bad thing that I am going to watch a couple of competitive rounds and then go and play it for myself.”
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