Scottie Scheffler wins Olympic gold after a comeback victory

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Gold medalist Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, poses with his medal following the medal ceremony for men's golf during the medal ceremony at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Sunday, Aug. 4. / AP

Despite being the No. 1 golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler was far from a gold medal going into the final round of men's Olympic golf at France's Le Golf National on Sunday. At his starting tee, Scheffler sat four shots back — behind fellow American Xander Schauffele and Spain's Jon Rahm.

That all changed after Scheffler sunk a half-dozen birdies in the last nine holes of the French golf course. The 28-year-old's near-flawless round launched him to the top of the Olympic podium and won the United States gold — leaving England’s Tommy Fleetwood with silver and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama with bronze.

The reigning Masters champion started building momentum early Sunday when he birdied his first hole with a 10-foot putt. But after 10 holes and a few more birdies, Scheffler still sat four strokes behind Rahm, who seemed destined for Olympic gold.

Yet the Spanish golfer quickly lost his lead with a few bogeys and a double-bogey on the last few holes. Scheffler, on the other hand, seemingly could not miss. On holes 14 through 17, Scheffler kept climbing the leader board with birdie after birdie. It was his putt on the 17th green — his fourth consecutive birdie — that ultimately secured his victory.

Scheffler's comeback victory for Olympic gold comes during an eventful professional and personal year for the 28-year-old. In April, Scheffler won his second green jacket at the Masters in Augusta, Ga. Shortly after, his wife, Meredith Scheffler, gave birth to Bennett — their first child. Then, just days after the birth, Scheffler was arrested, handcuffed and charged with a felony for assaulting a police officer with his vehicle in Louisville during the PGA Championship. The charges were dropped by late May after Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell agreed that the incident was "a big misunderstanding."

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Gold medalist Scottie Scheffler, center, with silver medalist Tommy Fleetwood, left, and bronze medalist Hideki Matsuyama listen to the nation anthem of the U.S. during the medal ceremony for men's golf. / AP

On June 18, the USA Olympic golf team selected Scheffler along with three other golfers. Scheffler's victory is the second consecutive Olympic gold for the men's USA team; fellow teammate Xander Schauffele won it all at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games.

During the medal ceremony on Sunday, Scheffler grew visibly emotional and broke into tears as The Star Spangled Banner played.