Tommy Fleetwood’s thoughts clear on Scottie Scheffler after definitive eight-word claim

Tommy Fleetwood came heartbreakingly close to Olympic gold, finishing just one stroke behind the victor, Scottie Scheffler. Yet, despite the narrow defeat, Fleetwood had high praise for Scheffler, calling him the “best in the world.”

The Olympic men’s golf tournament at Le Golf National in France saw Scheffler shoot a record-breaking nine-under 62 on the final day, securing the gold medal for Team USA. Fleetwood, representing Team GB, had to settle for silver after a strong performance throughout the week.

Reflecting on his rival, the 33-year-old Fleetwood acknowledged the exceptional talent of Scheffler in an interview with talkSPORT. “It’s annoying, isn’t it? He is the best player in the world, he’s having a phenomenal year and he had an amazing day yesterday,” Fleetwood remarked.

Interestingly, Fleetwood admitted that during much of the final round, Scheffler wasn’t on his radar. “He wasn’t really one that we were thinking of for a lot of the round, but then I saw that he was getting close,” he said. Fleetwood emphasized that losing to the best player in the world and now an Olympic champion was a bittersweet consolation.

Despite the disappointment of narrowly missing gold, Fleetwood expressed immense pride in winning an Olympic medal for his country. “Obviously, there’s a small part of you that’s a bit gutted when you come so close and not to win gold. But still, having an Olympic medal is something that’s very special,” he said. Fleetwood confessed that the prospect of a playoff for silver and bronze was daunting, and he was relieved to avoid it with a solid final putt.

On the 18th hole, Fleetwood nearly chipped in to force a playoff for the gold. He reflected on the tension of that moment: “In any other tournament, you’re not that fussed. You know, it can go in or it doesn’t but I was actually still pretty nervous over that [final putt]. I just wanted to get it over and done with.”

When asked about the significance of his Olympic silver medal, Fleetwood noted that it wasn’t something he had dreamed of as a child. “Golf was my favourite sport [growing up] and we never had a chance of dreaming of being an Olympic medallist. But as soon as it’s come around, I think you’re just watching it grow and grow in terms of how much we want it, how much it means to us,” he explained. He described standing on the podium as one of the most special moments of his career, a memory he will cherish forever.

Scottie Scheffler’s Olympic gold adds to his impressive list of achievements, which includes a recent victory at the Masters Tournament. The American golfer now boasts two major championships and has held the title of world number one for over 90 weeks.

Fleetwood, with his seven European Tour title wins and notable major championship finishes (second at the US Open in 2018 and The Open Championship in 2019), has further cemented his place in golf history with his Olympic silver.