Scottie Scheffler capped off his remarkable season by winning an Olympic gold medal in a thrilling competition at Le Golf National. The world’s No. 1 golfer and six-time PGA Tour winner this year surged from four shots behind with a 9-under 62 to secure the victory, keeping the 30,000 fans on edge during a wild final round.
Scheffler’s pursuit of Olympic glory was helped by a dramatic turn of events involving other top contenders. Jon Rahm of Spain, who had a four-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood, experienced a stunning collapse starting at the 11th hole. Fleetwood quickly caught up in just two holes, setting the stage for an intense finish.
This shift opened the door for six players to contend, including France’s Victor Perez, who finished just one shot shy of the podium. However, it was Scheffler who seized the moment with four consecutive birdies down the stretch. His critical move came on the 17th hole, where he hit a shot out of deep rough and made an 18-foot birdie putt to take the lead for the first time that day.
Scheffler set an Olympic record with a 72-hole score of 19-under 265. Fleetwood, who fell out of the lead with a bogey from the rough on the 17th, managed to recover with a par on the final hole, securing the silver medal with a score of 66. Hideki Matsuyama earned the bronze, staying in contention on the back nine but closing with six straight pars for a 65.
With this victory, Scheffler becomes the second consecutive American to win gold in men’s golf, following Xander Schauffele’s win at the Tokyo Games. Schauffele had shared the 54-hole lead with Rahm before encountering his own struggles. Rory McIlroy was also in the mix, just one shot off the lead, until he hit a wedge into the water on the 15th hole, ending his medal hopes.