Golf fans were treated to an exhilarating spectacle in Sunday’s final round of the 2024 Paris Olympics golf tournament at Le Golf National.
Scottie Scheffler claimed the gold medal in men’s golf after a mouth-watering final round. The 28-year-old carded a mind-boggling nine-under par 62 to claim the coveted Olympics title.
The Texan’s victory marked a triumphant return to the Olympic podium for the United States, following Xander Schauffele’s gold medal win at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Scheffler was only participating in his first-ever Olympic Games but his remarkable composure and skill captured the attention of golf fans across the globe.
However, his journey to victory was far from a cakewalk. He needed every bit of brilliance to finish one stroke ahead of Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood (-18).
Scheffler entered Sunday’s final round tied for sixth at 10-under par but he ignited his round with birdies on the first three holes, setting the tone for a blistering performance.
He maintained his momentum on the back nine, reeling off six more birdies, including an incredible stretch of four consecutive birdies from holes 14 to 17.
A tense showdown with Fleetwood ensued, with both players trading blow for blow. However, a crucial bogey for Fleetwood on the par-four 17th hole gave Scheffler a one-stroke advantage, leaving his British counterpart to settle for a silver medal.
Scheffler’s Olympic triumph adds another chapter to his already epic 2024 season, and he’s on course to win the Player of the Year award.
The world’s number one has now amassed six PGA Tour victories, including two Masters titles, the Memorial, the RBC Heritage, the Players Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Lowry & McIlroy Fall Short
The Olympics is one of the most watched spectacles on the sporting calendar, with fans from across the globe tuning in to watch their representatives compete for medals.
The event captivated billions of fans worldwide, and the Irish nations were no different, especially with Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy in action.
Irish golf enthusiasts were eager to see how Lowry performedon the global stage and fancied his chances of claiming a spot on the podium.
Several betting sites priced Lowry at 22/1 to claim the gold medal, with the bookmakers recognising the world number 28 as a formidable contender.
However, he struggled to live up to expectations, putting in a performance that failed to match the optimism of Irish punters.
After a third-round 66 at the Le Golf National on Saturday, Lowry was tied for 24th and had plenty of ground to cover in his quest for a podium finish, but his efforts ultimately proved futile.
Two opening level-par rounds of 71 did too much damage to the Offaly man’s hopes of adding an Olympic medal to his collection, and all that remained was playing for pride.
Lowry needed a good start at Le Golf National, but he dropped an early shot at the par-five third.
While he made birdies at the fourth and seventh, another bogey at the tough 17th left him in the bottom half of the leaderboard.
Disappointed with how Lowry’s campaign panned out, fans turned their attention to Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy as their only hope of making a podium finish. But the world’s number three fell just short.
McIlroy finished just outside the podium for the second consecutive Olympic Games, tying for fifth place alongside Spain’s Jon Rahm.
The Northern Irishman was priced at 8/1 to clinch a gold medal, but his performance was a masterclass in brilliance and cruel misfortune.
A blistering back nine that included five consecutive birdies catapulted him into medal contention, but what followed was a gut-wrenching twist that cruelly denied him a podium finish.
The Northern Irishman finished in a tie for fifth at 15 under, two strokes shy of a bronze medal, which served as a haunting echo of his play-off defeat for the same honour in Tokyo three years ago.
McIlroy’s decade-long reign as one of golf’s most compelling figures was on full display at Le Golf National. A potential masterpiece was unravelling on the par-four 15th, a hole that has become synonymous with both triumph and tragedy in recent history.
However, his wedge shot found the water, a shocking turn of events for a player of McIlroy’s calibre. Despite his valiant effort to salvage par, the double bogey was a gut-wrenching blow.