Scottie Scheffler added an Olympic gold medal to his already astonishing season after he held off challenges from Tommy Fleetwood and Hideki Matsuyama in a thriller at Le Golf National.
The six-time winner on the PGA Tour this year – and the world’s No. 1 player – rallied from four shots behind with a 9-under 62 to win and kept some 30,000 fans on edge for a wild final tour hours.
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In his search for Olympic glory, Scheffler had plenty of help.
Jon Rahm of Spain had a four-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood when he stepped on the 11th tee. Fleetwood caught him in two holes as the Spaniard had a stunning collapse.
That opened the door for six players — including Victor Perez of France, who came within one shot of the podium.
But it was Scheffler who charged to the front with four straight birdies down the stretch, none bigger than gouging a shot out of deep rough on the 17th hole and making the 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 from the rough on the 17th, got up and down for par on the final hole for a 66 to win the silver medal.
The bronze went to Hideki Matsuyama, in the mix on the back nine until closing with six straight pars for a 65.
Scheffler becomes the second straight 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 until he had a collapse of his own. So did Rory McIlroy, one off the lead until hitting a wedge into the water on the 15th hole.