Paris Olympics Golf medalists from L-R – Tommy Fleetwood (Silver), Scottie Scheffler (Gold), & Hideki Matsuyama (Bronze)
The 3rd edition of the Olympic Golf Tournament in Paris saw 60 top golfers from 32 countries, including nine of the world’s top 12, compete in the event. Here are our five takeaways from the competition:
(1)Atmosphere and emotion was charged –
The Paris Olympics showcased the best elements of the sport, with Scottie Scheffler winning Gold, Tommy Fleetwood securing Silver, and Hideki Matsuyama earning Bronze. Players emphasized the truly global nature of the event, suggesting it could rival or even surpass the Ryder Cup in prestige as it brings together the best golfers from around the world, playing for their home countries.
Rory McIlroy, the current World No. 3, stated, “The Ryder Cup is the best tournament in golf, but after a spectacular final day of the men’s Olympic tournament—in which many of the sport’s biggest names battled atop the leaderboard—I think the Olympics has the potential to be right up there with it.”
Rory McIlroy shares his thoughts on Olympics –
Paris 2024: So close but so far for Rory McIlroy who played himself into medal contention on the final day of the Olympic golf tournament, but came unstuck with an approach shot into the water on the 15th.#RTESport #Paris2024
Watch https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7
Updates… pic.twitter.com/GG6mxPaU8o— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 4, 2024
Scottie Scheffler, the current World No. 1 from the USA, carded rounds of 67-69-67-62 to win the gold medal and was visibly emotional after his epic final round, demonstrating what it means to him to deliver for his country.
(2) Amazing back nine drama on final day –
Scheffler entered the final round trailing Spain’s Jon Rahm by 4 shots but started strong, carding three consecutive birdies at the start. However Rahm went four clear of the field after the 10th as he made six birdies. Dramatically and unexpectedly, just when it appeared the race for gold was over, Rahm imploded with two bogeys and a double between holes 11 to 14 while Sheffler compiled a six birdie 29 coming home. Tommy Fleetwood also made four birdies coming in – giving him the silver, just one stroke behind Scheffler.
Rahm finally closed with two more closing bogeys, resulting in a tied-5th place finish at 15-under par alongside Rory McIlroy. Matsuyama took the bronze while Frenchman Victor Perez, also closed with 29 on his final nine to give the 50,000 fans much to cheer about.
The amazing swings of fortune made for compelling drama, as much as any TV audience could expect, and gave the Olympic tournament a shot in the arm for creating interest and excitement.
What it means ❤️ pic.twitter.com/bKNLBDN7PE
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 4, 2024
(3) Huge Fan turnout –
A massive home crowd greeted Perez on the opening tee
The Olympics Men’s Golf competition saw robust spectator turnout, with upwards of 30,000 attending each day. While not as large as the Ryder Cup at the same venue in 2018, this was a significant success for a young tournament, especially considering the Tokyo Olympics took place without spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The venue featured dedicated spaces for autographs, allowing visitors to interact closely with the players. Fans had the opportunity to high-five the golfers and celebrate their birdies and eagles, enhancing the overall experience and making the event memorable for everyone involved.
(4) Golf National produces power packed leaderboard –
The third edition of the golf competition since its reintroduction at the Rio Olympics in 2016 had everything a fan could hope for: a top-quality field, an outstanding venue, and a power packed leaderboard. Major champion Jon Rahm, World No `1 Scottie Scheffler, Rory Mcilroy, Xander Schauffele coming off two major titles, perennial performer Tommy Fleetwood and Japanese superstar Hideki Matsuyama, were all in the mix starting the final round.
Additionally, the top 10 finishers each hailed from different countries, which engaged fans from every corner of the world and showcased golf’s international flavours.
Victor Perez – France
Rory McIlroy – Northern Ireland
Jon Rahm – Spain
Nicolai Hojgaard – Denmark
Tom Kim – South Korea
Corey Conners – Canada
Jason Day – Australia
Joaquin Niemann – Chile
Thomas Detry – Belgium
(5) National colours light up the event –
Jason Day of Australia during the competiton
The sight of the world’s top players wearing uniforms in national colours added to the unique atmosphere surrounding the tournament.
USA, represented by. Scheffler was seen in All-American all red, white and blue – stars and stripes.
Spain’s Jon Rahm was glowing in Spanish red while Aussies Min Woo Lee and Jason Day, donned their signature bright yellow uniforms. Rory McIlroy stood out in green, representing Ireland, while Tom Kim of Korea & Hideki Matsuyama of Japan were in whites with just the right flashes of red to match their flags.
The players wore national team colours on all four days and an additional one for the prize ceremony, which added unique colours to the event.
Photo – IGF/PGA TOUR/Golfweek