While our favorite for the men’s gold medal in Paris was Xander Schauffele – he won gold at Tokyo and was coming off two major wins this season – Scottie Scheffler was by no means a poor second pick.
Scheffler picked up his 6th win of the season at the Olympics after a spectacular round that surprised and didn’t surprise us at the same time. With his record this season, you almost expect him to win, but not by shooting a 62 on the final day to surpass Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood by one stroke. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama earned bronze. France’s Victor Perez was one stroke off from standing on the podium.
Women’s Olympic Golf Leads to Historic Moment for Lydia Ko
After Scheffler’s incredible performance, all eyes turned to Nelly Korda, who was defending her gold medal from Tokyo. While Korda finished the event under par, she wasn’t near contention at T22. New Zealand’s superstar Lydia Ko won the gold – and so much more.
This win gave Ko the last points she needed to earn her entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame. At just 27-years-old, Ko is the youngest player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with the current criteria. The Olympics win also gave her the final medal she needed to complete her array of podium wins the last 8 years – bronze in Tokyo, silver in Rio and now gold in Paris.
Speaking of podium wins, Germany’s Esther Henseleit took silver and China’s Xiyu Lin took bronze. The closest American to the podium was Rose Zhang, who was in contention at one point. She ended up T8 – not bad for her rookie season.
Should Golf Be in the Olympics?
After both events wrapped up at Le Golf National, many Olympics fans asked, “Should golf even be in the Olympics?”
There’s the matter of all the golfers being professionals while other Olympians are a mix of amateur and professional. It takes two years of qualifying from the top professional tours for golfers to go to the Olympics, which does take away opportunities from some countries’ brightest amateur stars. We know after the NCAA Championships that college kids can play.
On the flip side, some names on the podium wouldn’t be known if it weren’t for the Olympics, creating more fans for the game when the players return to their tours. Some fans attending the games may find golf tickets a more affordable option thanks to the venue’s vast space and get introduced to a game they know little about. The international exposure can only help grow the game.
Some wonder if golf deserves to be in the Olympics when they have a more constant spotlight during their regular season – and other events that are just as prestigious. No one can argue that The Masters isn’t a major pillar in the men’s game. The women’s majors, however, are still building their reputations, and the LPGA players who earn their way to the Olympic Games have always shared how special this opportunity was for them, even with Zika and Covid in play.
When these golfers are competing in every other event for four years for themselves or perhaps a cause they support, their expressions on the podium proved wins hit differently when you’re also playing for your country – the Olympics is the only stage where individual golfers can do that.
