How long will Scotty Schaeffler (U.S.), the world No. 1 player in men’s golf, be the soloist? Schaeffler, who is sweeping the PGA stage trophies including the Masters, a major golf tournament, in good condition this year, has won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In the fourth round of men’s golf at Le Golf Nashonal (par 71) in Giancourt, near Paris, France on the 4th (local time), Scheffler shot nine birdies without a bogey and shot a 9-under 62. Scheffler, who recorded 19-under 265 overall, beat “machine” Tommy Fleetwood (Britain) by one stroke to win the title.
Schaeffler won the Masters title in 2022 and this year, adding an Olympic gold medal to her career. Schaeffler, who was tied for sixth by four shots behind the leader through the third round, displayed his strong support by garnering six birdies at nine holes in the second half of the day, and achieved a one-shot come-from-behind victory 안전놀이터. Fleetwood had a tie with Schaeffler until the last minute, but had to settle for a one-shot silver medal by scoring a bogey at the 17th hole (par 4). The bronze medal was won by Hideki Matsuyama of Japan with 17-under 267.
Kim Joo-hyung, who shared the round with Scheffler, finished the competition in eighth place with 13-under 271. This is the highest ranking Korean male player in the Olympics, surpassing Ahn Byung-hoon’s joint 11th place at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. Ahn Byung-hoon finished the competition 6-under 278 and tied for 24th. Kim had a double bogey at the last 18th hole (par 4), making it regrettable that he lost two pars.
After the game, Kim Joo-hyung, who couldn’t control his emotions, shed tears and said, “It was my first participation in the Olympics, but I didn’t think it would be this touching. It’s not that I cry because I didn’t win a medal,” and added, “Actually, I got emotional from the 17th hole. I shed tears without realizing it as Scottie Scheffler, who played along with me due to the stress I received while preparing for this year’s Olympics, said Kim Joo-hyung. “Since Scheffler listened to my concerns a lot, I think he knew my thoughts well and thanked me for saying that I worked hard,” he said.
Kim Joo-hyung finally said, “I felt a lot of pressure to represent the country, and I thought this was a good opportunity because our men’s golf did not have an Olympic medal yet. I thought it would be very helpful for Korean golf if I won a medal, but those feelings came out after the competition,” adding, “I felt what the Olympic experience was like, and now I know why Son Heung-min (the national soccer team) cries so often.”
Meanwhile, women’s golf at the Paris Olympics will start its first round on July 7. Yang Hee-young, Ko Jin-young and Kim Hyo-joo will participate in the women’s event.
