Scottie Scheffler must have arrived in Paris in a panic. It was, after all, more than a month since he won the last of six 2024 tournaments. It turned out the world No 1 had no reason to fret; with a stunning Sunday back nine of 29, for a round of 62, he added Olympic gold to his remarkable CV. Tommy Fleetwood was the latest player to be nudged into second place by the 28-year-old’s brilliance. Scheffler took main honours but it was unquestionably Fleetwood who captured hearts and minds here.
“There is part of me that is disappointed but I never dreamt I would be an Olympic medallist so I am unbelievably proud and happy with how the week went,” Fleetwood said. “Standing on that podium with a medal was one of the most special moments I have ever had.”
Scheffler, whose 19-under total pipped Fleetwood by one, became the latest athlete to be reduced to tears by the playing of his national anthem. This looked uncharacteristic. Hideki Matsuyama, Masters champion in 2021, secured bronze for Japan at minus 17.
Scheffler rarely commands such adulation. He just wins, time and again. Olympic golf has a champion that justifies its very existence.
