A wave of five birdies brought Rory McIlroy within reach of the Olympic medal at The National Golf in Paris, but a misguided shot with a wedge on the 15th hole hindered his prospects significantly. The leaderboard of the day’s later half was extremely fluctuating.
Ultimately, the United States triumphed once again, thanks to Scottie Scheffler’s spectacular last round of 62, concluding with a 19-under par total, which granted him the victory. Scottie was closely followed by England’s Tommy Fleetwood, just a single stroke behind on 18 under. As for the bronze, it was clinched by Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama who managed to maintain his rank despite the challenging afternoon that witnessed numerous setbacks.
Post-round, McIlroy, who secured a joint fifth placement, was visibly dissatisfied and self-critical. He expressed his desire to transition from being golf’s ‘nearly man’ from the past three years to a victorious golfer. He articulated his urge to convert his close attempts into victories, underscoring the necessity of crossing the threshold.
McIlroy commenced his concluding round with birdies on two of the initial three holes and maintained a steady gameplay until the halfway point. He then showcased his prime gameplay from the 10th to the 14th hole, scoring in a successive streak of five birdies, with a 20-foot putt on the subsequent hole effectively boosting the momentum.
He didn’t merely graze the field, but made a significant dent, climbing up to joint third with a 17-under score. However, the 15th proved to be a costly hole.
While attempting to play a wedge shot with the water hazard in front of the green, a slight calculation error hindered his progress. He had to proceed from the drop zone, placing his shot considerably beyond the hole and despite a challenging long-range putt, he concluded with a double bogey.
“Following the birdies on the 10th and 11th, I saw the scoreboard and I was on -14 while Jon [Rahm] had reached -20,” McIlroy explained. “I rounded up that I likely didn’t stand a chance. Then, after another birdie on the 14th, I saw I was trailing by one – it was an unexpected shift.
“I executed the wedge shot on the 15th just as I had intended to. Nicolai [Hojgaard] and Hideki [Matsuyama], who were ahead of me, launched their balls higher and the wind had carried them. They ended up 25, 30 feet further. I hit the shot I intended on the 15th, but failed to get enough airtime on the ball for the wind to carry it the additional yards it required.
“I endeavoured to maintain an aggressive stance, attempting to land the wedge between the green’s front edge and the hole. I missed the spot by about three or four yards, which is likely to cost me a medal.”
Meanwhile, Rahm stumbled, losing four strokes through four holes on the back nine and displacing him from his position at the top. He was left dumbfounded at the hole following a double bogey seven on the par-five 14th hole, after his four-foot putt for bogey passed too far.
Then it came down to Scheffler and England’s Fleetwood, to see who would falter first. Scheffler, however, set the rhythm, nearly emulating McIlroy’s run with four birdies through 14, 15, 16 and 17. This put him on 19-under par, a stroke ahead with only the 18th hole remaining.
Scheffler found the rough on the 18th but managed to steer clear of the water hazard facing the green to finish his round, leaving Fleetwood and Hideki Matsuyama with the task of creating some extra spark.
Fleetwood’s performance wavered on the 17th when a hefty chip from the fringe led to a bogey, while Scheffler remained unworried practising shots on the range. To no surprise, Scheffler, being the American player, completed with a shot in the lead, leaving McIlroy ruminating over missed opportunities.