Scottie Scheffler Strikes Gold in Paris
August 05, 2024 · 2 min read
Scottie Scheffler made headlines once again by capturing the gold medal in Men's Olympic Golf at Le Golfe Nationale, right outside of Paris. The world number one and Masters champion blazed through the final round with a course record-tying 62, finishing at 19-under par. This impressive feat pushed him one shot ahead of Britain's Tommy Fleetwood, who clinched the silver, and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, who took home the bronze.
Scheffler was trailing by four shots at the start of Sunday but began sinking putts immediately. He notched three birdies early and capped off his day with a blistering 29 on the back nine. This marks Scheffler's sixth win in 2024, alongside three champion jackets and now, a gold medal.
"I think what we saw today was a very 'Scottie Scheffler round,'" remarked golf analyst Rick Gaiman. Scheffler's performance solidifies his position as not just the best player in the world, but the undisputed player of the year. Xander Schauffele, last year's gold medalist, had opened the door slightly by winning two majors earlier in the year, but Scheffler's overall performance in 2024 left no room for debate.
Fleetwood, always a consistent contender, finished one shot back. Despite a bogey on the 17th hole, he showed grit by making a 56-foot putt on the 18th to secure his silver medal, avoiding a playoff with Matsuyama. "Tommy's probably the best player in the world without a PGA Tour win," Gaiman noted, adding that this finish bolsters his already impressive resume.
Matsuyama, Japan's ambassador to golf, also had a standout tournament. Starting with a strong 63 in the opening round, he managed to secure the bronze medal with a bogey-free 65 on Sunday. This bronze win felt like a small piece of redemption for Matsuyama, who missed out on a medal in a seven-way playoff at the Tokyo Olympics.
Interestingly, it wasn't a day to remember for Jon Rahm or Xander Schauffele. Rahm, who held a four-shot lead at one point, saw his gold medal hopes crumble with a string of bogeys and a double bogey on the back nine, finishing tied for fifth. Schauffele, on the other hand, faltered in his final round with two bogeys and a double bogey, tumbling to finish tied for ninth.
This Olympic tournament had its share of drama, but the final word goes to Scottie Scheffler. Adding a gold medal to his incredible year, he's undoubtedly set a high bar for the rest of the golfing world.
Scheffler was trailing by four shots at the start of Sunday but began sinking putts immediately. He notched three birdies early and capped off his day with a blistering 29 on the back nine. This marks Scheffler's sixth win in 2024, alongside three champion jackets and now, a gold medal.
"I think what we saw today was a very 'Scottie Scheffler round,'" remarked golf analyst Rick Gaiman. Scheffler's performance solidifies his position as not just the best player in the world, but the undisputed player of the year. Xander Schauffele, last year's gold medalist, had opened the door slightly by winning two majors earlier in the year, but Scheffler's overall performance in 2024 left no room for debate.
Fleetwood, always a consistent contender, finished one shot back. Despite a bogey on the 17th hole, he showed grit by making a 56-foot putt on the 18th to secure his silver medal, avoiding a playoff with Matsuyama. "Tommy's probably the best player in the world without a PGA Tour win," Gaiman noted, adding that this finish bolsters his already impressive resume.
Matsuyama, Japan's ambassador to golf, also had a standout tournament. Starting with a strong 63 in the opening round, he managed to secure the bronze medal with a bogey-free 65 on Sunday. This bronze win felt like a small piece of redemption for Matsuyama, who missed out on a medal in a seven-way playoff at the Tokyo Olympics.
Interestingly, it wasn't a day to remember for Jon Rahm or Xander Schauffele. Rahm, who held a four-shot lead at one point, saw his gold medal hopes crumble with a string of bogeys and a double bogey on the back nine, finishing tied for fifth. Schauffele, on the other hand, faltered in his final round with two bogeys and a double bogey, tumbling to finish tied for ninth.
This Olympic tournament had its share of drama, but the final word goes to Scottie Scheffler. Adding a gold medal to his incredible year, he's undoubtedly set a high bar for the rest of the golfing world.