Xander Schauffele has issued his verdict on Scottie Scheffler winning the Olympic gold medal after a stunning final round from the world number one at Le Golf National on Sunday.
Xander Schauffele will be extremely disappointed that he was not able to win a second gold medal after triumphing in Tokyo three years ago. The American was tied for the lead heading into the final round of the Paris Olympics.
Unfortunately, the 30-year-old could not get anything going in the final round, producing the worst round of anyone in the top 34 spots on the leaderboard to finish in a tie for ninth.
Instead, the American who stood atop the podium as The Star-Spangled Banner played out was Scottie Scheffler, with the world number one tying the course record to beat Tommy Fleetwood by one.
Xander Schauffele reacts as Scottie Scheffler wins Olympic gold medal
It was another incredible achievement for Scheffler in what has been an amazing year for the 28-year-old, with seven wins, including The Masters as well as the Olympics.
Schauffele was his great rival for much of the year, with two major titles. Some felt Scheffler would have traded years with Schauffele ahead of the Olympics, but there is surely no doubt now over who the player of the year has been.
And speaking after his round, Schauffele commented on his countryman succeeding him as the Olympic gold medalist for the sport.
“Yeah, cherry on top would not do it the justice, like I said earlier, Scottie is going to have about 14 cherries on top of his cake. He’s been piling up trophies left and right and he keeps moving away from what is the pack of people chasing him in the world,” he said.
“He’s been playing unbelievable golf and very happy for him. When I take my competitive hat off and put my USA patriot hat on, I’m very happy that we won another gold medal.”
A golden era for the sport
Golf fans are very lucky to have so many outstanding players in the game right now, with the Olympics arguably turning into a better event than almost anyone actually expected.
Scheffler has been sensational in 2024; to the point where it almost seems extremely unfair that he is likely to start the Tour Championship with only a two-shot lead. But then, what Schauffele has achieved cannot be overlooked, with victories at the PGA Championship and The Open.
And the pair are just two of quite the group of current players sat on two major titles. The next few years are going to be truly amazing to watch.
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