PARIS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — American Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 golfer, delivered a stunning come-from-behind performance to claim the Olympic gold medal in men’s individual event at Paris 2024 on Sunday.
In the fourth round of the men’s individual stroke play at Le Golf National, Scheffler shot a remarkable nine-under 62, including nine birdies, six of which came on the back nine. His exceptional play led him to edge out Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood by one shot after four rounds of play, securing the gold medal with a score of 19 under par.
Fleetwood finished with an 18-under-par score to take the silver medal. Fleetwood’s consistency shone throughout the competition, as he did not shoot over par on any of the front or back nines across his four rounds.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama claimed the bronze medal. Matsuyama started strong with three birdies in his first five holes and totaled six birdies for the round. Despite his impressive play, he did not manage to birdie any of the course’s three par-5 holes.
Chinese players Dou Zecheng and Yuan Yechun finished 53rd and 56th, respectively, among the 58 competitors.
“Our athletes gave their best both on and off the course at the Olympics. However, there is a significant gap between our male athletes and those from other countries,” Wei Qingfeng, secretary-general of the China Golf Association, told Xinhua after the competition.
Compared with the world’s golfing powerhouses, Wei noted that China faced challenges of a shallow talent pool and non-established development pathways.
“We need to plan from the ground up and make systematic improvements,” he said.
