SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Two weeks, 144 holes, six medal winners and countless indelible moments were made during golf’s fortnight at the Olympics.
From Scottie Scheffler’s emotional victory to Lydia Ko’s career-defining march to the LPGA Hall of Fame, the Paris Games didn’t disappoint.
Golf has arrived in the Olympics
Full stop.
In many ways, the 2016 and 2020 Games were a warm-up to this year’s Olympics and a long-awaited victory lap for those who pushed the International Olympic Committee to allow golf back in the fold.
That initial pitch to the IOC focused on three key areas:
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The top players would buy in to golf in the Olympics.
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The competition would be compelling.
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The fans would embrace a sport that takes four days to crown a champion.
Check, check and check.
GOLF IN REVIEW AT THE PARIS OLYMPICS
Unlike in ’16 in Rio when some of the game’s top players opted out, all of golf’s stars – both men and women – turned up for the Paris Games and produced inspired finishes, with world No. 1 Scheffler closing with a 62 to win gold for the men and Ko producing a machine-like performance down the stretch to win the women’s event (and so much more).
Both finishes should also put an end to the narrative that 72-holes of stroke play is an uninspired choice to crown Olympic champions. And the crowds that flocked to Le Golf National proved that without a global pandemic, a golf-savvy host country will embrace Olympic golf.
Podium Slam for Lydia Ko
It wasn’t easy to complete the fairytale, but Ko never expected it to be.
With the weight of a history on her shoulders, Ko outlasted the field at the Olympic women’s event to become the first golfer to win the gold, silver and bronze medals. She also earned the final point for entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Lydia Ko adds gold to fairytale — and now HOF — career
Lydia Ko won the gold medal at the Olympic women’s golf competition to complete the trifecta and enter the LPGA Hall of Fame.
“I mean, Cinderella’s glass slippers are see-through and my podium shoes are also see-through; I guess that’s something that we have going for us. I feel like I’m part of this [fairy]tale,” said Ko, who closed with a 71 for a two-stroke victory over Germany’s Esther Henseleit. “Going into this week, everyone was saying, oh, what if you finish and collect all the gold on top of the silver and bronze you have. Of course I want to do that, complete it, too, but it’s much easier said than done.”
Ko’s victory was anything but comfortable, despite building a five-stroke lead just past the turn at Le Golf National. The New Zealander’s lead was cut to two shots by a poor approach at the par-4 13th hole that led to double-bogey 6, but she closed with four workmanlike pars and a birdie at the last to complete the trifecta.
As for earning the clinching point to claim her spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame, even Ko could appreciate the style points.
“Did I imagine that I was going to do it at the Paris Olympics? Probably not,” she said. “But this is definitely the coolest way to do it.”
Perspective for the game
There is a lesson to be gleaned from the fact that in less than a year two of the most memorable events in golf, the Ryder Cup and Olympics, have a combined purse of $0.
As the narrative in professional golf continues to be about player greed and unrealistic economics, Scheffler offered a monsoon of perspective during a tearful medal ceremony.
Scottie Scheffler leaves Olympics with both gratitude and gold
Scottie Scheffler stormed to gold in the final round of the Olympic men’s competition and then he felt the weight of the accomplishment.
“It was just very emotional being up there on stage there as the flag is being raised and sitting there singing the National Anthem. Yes, that’s definitely one I’ll remember for a long time,” said Scheffler, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour this season who isn’t exactly prone to emotional outburst.
The debate over where an Olympic medal falls on the flow chart of importance in golf will continue, but let Scheffler’s emotion be a reminder of what it means to play for something more than money.
Olympic pressure
The unique nature of Olympic golf, which focuses exclusively on the top-3 finishers, produced some truly stunning moments, including Jon Rahm’s Sunday collapse during the men’s competition.
The Spaniard was on cruise control with a four-shot lead with just eight holes to play when his Olympics unraveled. The two-time major champion bogeyed Nos. 11 and 12 and made a double-bogey 7 at the 14th hole. Rahm played his way completely off the podium with two more bogeys at Nos. 17 and 18.
“I don’t remember the last time I played a tournament and I felt this,” Rahm said. “I don’t know what the word is because, you know, I not only feel like I let myself down but to just not get it done for the whole country of Spain, it’s a lot more painful than I would like it to be.”
Vive la France
An emerging tradition at the Olympics is to allow a player from the host country to hit the tournament’s first tee shot, a moment that set the tone for both competitions when Victor Perez teed off to commence the men’s event.
Perez then ignited the home crowd with a closing 63 that left him just one shot behind bronze medal winner Hideki Matsuyama. During the women’s competition, it was Celine Boutier who carried the flag with an opening 65.
Both players came up short in their bid to medal but the secret sauce is obvious – golf in the Olympics is compelling, but leaning into the nationalistic component is a force multiplier.
Olympic emotion
For most athletes in Paris who only get the chance to compete at the highest level every four years, the emotional toll of victory and defeat is obvious. But even golfers – who are given regular opportunities for greatness – were impacted by the passion of the Games.
The most notable example of this was Tom Kim, whose bid to medal came down to the final hole which he needed to eagle to force a playoff with Matsuyama. Kim’s understandably aggressive attempt on the 72nd hole backfired, and he finished with a double-bogey 6 and an eighth-place finish.
When Kim emerged from the scoring area he collapsed into his golf bag, overcome by emotion.
“Never been really emotional after a round. I think these emotions are surprising, but I think it’s just all the hard work I’ve done this year to put myself in this position, those things are coming out,” Kim said. “Just the things Scottie [Scheffler] said to me after the round really kind of came out and I’m just trying to hold it together.”
Beyond Kim’s obvious desire to win a medal, he could have also earned an exemption from mandatory military service back home in South Korea had he earned a spot on the podium.
Olympic spirit
One of the best parts of the Olympic experience for golfers is getting a chance to spend time with athletes from other sports, which is often eye-opening.
That mutual admiration was a two-way street during the men’s competition when Paul Juda, a member of the United States’ five-man gymnast team that won bronze, made the trip out to Le Golf National to cheer on Team USA.
“This is awesome,” Juda smiled. “I just don’t understand how they’re able to do what they do. It’s amazing.”
It’s probably safe to say the golfer’s think the same thing about Juda’s area of expertise.
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