Great Scottie! Scheffler gets the Olympic gold medal in a thriller with a 62
Scottie Scheffler delivered the best performance of his stellar year by rallying from four shots behind on Sunday with a 9-under 62 to win the Olympic gold medal in men’s golf at Le Golf National.
Already a six-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, including his second Masters title, Scheffler capped an extraordinary season with Olympic gold. His round kept some 30,000 fans on the edge of their seats for a thrilling final two hours.
The world’s No. 1 player had plenty of help. Jon Rahm of Spain, who had a four-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood when he stepped onto the 11th tee, collapsed, allowing Fleetwood to catch him within two holes. This collapse opened the door for six players, including Victor Perez of France, who came within one shot of the podium.
Scheffler surged to the front with four straight birdies down the stretch, highlighted by a crucial shot from deep rough on the 17th hole and an 18-foot birdie putt to take the lead for the first time all day. He set an Olympic record for 72 holes at 19-under 265. Fleetwood, who fell out of the lead with a bogey on the 17th, salvaged a par on the final hole for a 66 to win the silver medal.
Hideki Matsuyama took bronze, finishing with a 65 after closing with six straight pars.
Scheffler becomes the second consecutive American to win gold in men’s golf, following Xander Schauffele in the Tokyo Games. Schauffele was tied for the 54-hole lead with Rahm before experiencing his own collapse, as did Rory McIlroy, who was one off the lead until hitting a wedge into the water on the 15th hole.
