American golfer Scottie Scheffler overcame a four-stroke deficit on Sunday, firing an impressive nine-under 62, to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Scheffler kept the gold medal with the U.S. after Xander Schauffele won gold at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
Scheffler entered Sunday at 10 under, four strokes behind Schauffele and Spain’s Jon Rahm. Schauffele struggled on Sunday, falling out of contention for gold after shooting a two-over 73. Rahm held a lead for much of Sunday, but four bogeys and a double bogey on the back nine put him four strokes off of the lead by the end of Sunday.
Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood posed as Scheffler’s toughest challenge for the gold. Fleetwood’s bogey on No. 17 put him one stroke behind Scheffler. Fleetwood finished at 18 under, good enough for a silver medal.
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Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, who lost out on a bronze medal during the 2020 Games in a tiebreaker, earned a bronze medal.
Scheffler is in the midst of an impressive year as the World’s No. 1 golfer. He won the Masters Tournament in April in addition to winning five other tournaments on the PGA Tour, including the prestigious Memorial Tournament and PLAYERS Championship.
Golf returned to the Olympics in 2016 after much debate over its inclusion. Numerous top players opted not to participate that year. In the Olympics since, golf has gained a greater acceptance among the game’s elite, with fewer players spurning opportunities this year.
