And then there were threeJune 14, 2016

The KPMG Women's PGA Championship would be underway at Sahalee Country Club. Inbee Park of South Korea would defend the title she won at Westchester Country Club last year. There would be a lot at stake at this second major event in the LGPA Tour, as the 62nd edition of the Women's PGA Championship would fall on the Olympic year.

The final list of golfers competing in Rio de Janeiro will be known next month. There will be sixty participants. The Top 15 golfers in the Women's World Golf Rankings will qualify for Rio. As for the rest of the field, two factors will be taken into consideration. There won't be more than two golfers for every country. And the golfers must be ranked high enough (to qualify for the Olympics). July 11 is the cutoff date, which means the 2016 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship will be the final chance for the LGPA golfers to make their best shot.

As any fan of the LGPA Tour will tell you, the Olympics won't be an open field. Let's take a look at the three golfers who are likely to end up in the winners' podium:

Inbee Park. The native of Seoul, South Korea last won in Mexico City. It was seven months ago. Her followers were not worried, as she won two Grand Slam tournaments during the 2015 LGPA Tour. She may be the second-ranked golfer (in the Women's World Golf Rankings), but experience would be on her side. She had 17 wins in the LGPA Tour, including 7 major titles. And she seemed to be hungry for more titles. Who could stop her?

Lydia Ko. She's the top-ranked female golfer at the moment. She won the last two major tournaments. And she's originally from Seoul. (Her family moved to New Zealand when she was 12 years of age.) South Korean fans might be torn while watching the Olympics, as the competition could turn into a one-on-one duel between Ko, a 19-year old, and Park, a 27-year old. It's youth vs experience. Luck might play a part, but Ko has been more consistent these past months.

Ariya Jutanugarn. This Thai golfer is the hottest player in the tour at the moment, winning the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, Kingsmill Championship, and LPGA Volvik Championship last month. She's currently ranked ninth, which would guarantee her place in the Olympics. A Grand Slam tournament would make her a threat to Ko and Park, but an Olympic gold medal might come first.

Five more players have a good chance of winning a medal. Here they are:

Stacy Lewis. This 31-year old, who hailed from Toledo, Ohio, was the money list leader during the 2014 LGPA Tour. She had thirteen professional wins including two major titles. And she's not far behind Ko and Park. On a good day, she can outlast anyone.

Lexi Thompson. The native of Coral Springs, Florida won her first major tournament at Rancho Mirage two years ago. She hasn't followed it up with another Grand Slam title, but she had been steady ever since. She's currently ranked third, which would make her a huge threat.

Jang Ha-na. Her best result in the big events happened during the 2014 Evian Championship. She was tied for third place, and she had yet to follow it up with another strong performance. She wasn't inconsistent, but luck might play a part.

Minjee Lee. The native of Perth is currently ranked 11th, which would make her the top Aussie golfer. She won the Lotte Championship last April, and her next win may happen very soon.

Karrie Webb. Her current ranking (23) would belie her achievements. She had 41 wins in the LGPA Tour, which puts her in tenth place in the all-time list. She had seven Grand Slam titles. At 41 years old, the pride of Ayr, Queensland isn't showing signs of slowing down. She finished second during the 2014 Evian Championship, so it would be foolish to count her out in Rio.

As for Michelle Wie, she isn't ranked in the Top 60. This means she won't join the American team in Rio, but she's only 26 years of age. She can compete in Tokyo in 2020.

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