Team USA's Scottie Scheffler wins Olympics golf gold after scoring monster 62 in final round in Paris
Scottie Scheffler won a gold medal in the men's individual stroke play golf tournament at the Paris Olympics after already winning a second green jacket at the Masters earlier in the season. His victory came after an incredible final round at Le Golf National course.
Scheffler, age 28, earns his first Olympic medal during his first Olympics and proudly returns to the United States with the gold.
Scheffler had an incredible final round on Sunday, scoring -9 under with a 62 to move into first place. He finished the tournament at -19 under par. Scheffler made birdies on holes 1, 2, 3, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 during his thrilling final round.
He broke a record for the most number of holes played in the Olympics at 19-under 265. Tommy Fleetwood from Great Britain lost the lead after hitting a bogey on the 17th hole, but managed to save par on the final hole with a score of 66 to claim the silver medal.
Scheffler showed strong emotions during the medal ceremony while the national anthem was being played, as he seemed to wipe tears from his eyes.
"I don't like to compare things or rank my accomplishments," Scheffler told NBC Olympics. "I just want to appreciate this moment. As I mentioned before, I am honored to represent my country and I am excited to return home to the USA with a medal."
Hideki Matsuyama finished in third place with a score of seventeen under par. Victor Perez from France came in fourth place, just missing out on a spot on the podium. Rory McIlroy from Ireland and Jon Rahm from Spain both tied for fifth place with a score of fifteen under par.
Xander Schauffele from the United States, who took home the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, ended up in ninth place with a score of -12. Wyndham Clark finished just behind him in 14th place with a score of -11, while Colin Morikawa tied for 24th place with a score of -5.
Schauffele and Rahm were both at the top of the leaderboard after 54 holes, but Schauffele faltered. McIlroy was also close to the lead, but a mistake on the 15th hole cost him.
Scheffler is at the top of the world rankings right now and has a good chance of being named player of the year. He has won six PGA tournaments in 2024, taking home titles at the Masters (his second win at Augusta), the Memorial, the RBC Heritage, the Players Championship, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Scheffler is the first golfer to win six times in a single season on the PGA tour since Tiger Woods did so in 2009.
The winners of all four major golf tournaments were American players.
"It was an amazing experience, truly unique," Scheffler shared. "To represent your country is a special honor. Wearing the flag each morning was a humbling moment. We gave it our all out there. Visiting the other events was a great addition to the experience. I'm thrilled to bring home a medal."
Scottie Scheffler's Birthplace
Scottie Scheffler was born in Dallas, Texas, but when he was six, his family relocated to Ridgewood, New Jersey, where he spent most of his early years, as reported by NBC Olympics. Scheffler attended the University of Texas.
