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Scottie Scheffler’s back-nine 29 to earn a gold medal instantly puts him on a list of American Olympic legends

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3 months ago

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ance — Billy Mills from half-a-lap down in the 10,000 meters at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. Dave Wottle’s ridiculous sprint from dead last in the 800 meters to win gold on the track in Munich in 1972. Jason Lezak’s closing 50 meters to win the 400-meter freestyle swim relay gold for the U.S. and Michael Phelps at the Beijing Games in 2008. And now add one more to the list of remarkable American closing kicks to win gold in the Olympics.

Scottie Scheffler can stand equal with those historic U.S. heroes (and any others you care to name) after his back-nine 29 and course-record-tying 62 at Le Golf National snatched the gold medal from a collection of the best players in the world in the best Olympic men’s golf field ever. Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood was a shot behind and earned the silver medal. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama shot a final-round 65 to finish third and take home bronze.

It was vintage Scheffler, who entered the final round four shots off the lead of Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele, and despite a three-under front nine found himself seven behind Rahm’s midway final-round lead, where he surged to 20 under at one point before collapsing with four bogeys and a double on his back nine.

Scheffler, the clear No. 1 player in the world after his seventh victory of the year, made six birdies on the back nine, including four in a row from holes 14 through 17. It was clinical and clockwork and relentless, the way Scheffler had played his entire year, when he played his best. And even it left Scheffler more than a bit overwhelmed, breaking down into tears as the final words of the U.S national anthem played with him occupying the top spot on the medal stand.

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