Fleetwood falls agonisingly short of another triumph in Paris at 2024 Olympics
Tommy Fleetwood bagged silver for Team GB in the men’s golf at the Paris Olympics after he was agonisingly pipped to the top of the podium by world No1 Scottie Scheffler.
Fleetwood carded a five-under-par final round of 66 to finish on 18 under at Le Golf National, just one stroke behind Scheffler, who shot up the leaderboard with a course record-equalling 62.
The Englishman needed only to par the last two holes after Scheffler set the clubhouse lead on 19 under but dropped a shot at 17 after overhitting a chip from off the green.
Fleetwood then misjudged his second shot into 18, leaving him with a monster putt for birdie to force a play-off, which he narrowly missed.
Japan’s Hideki Masuyama took bronze a further shot back, while Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and double major winner Xander Schauffele all challenged for gold at stages.
Frenchman Victor Perez made a late charge to come fourth on 16 under, one ahead of Rahm and McIlroy, who both paid a heavy price for double bogeys on the back nine.
Fleetwood was one of the pre-Olympics favourites, having both won an individual title on this course and starred for Europe when they won the 2018 Ryder Cup at the venue.
His record in majors is one of near misses – he has been top five in all four and second on two occasions – and so it proved again at the 2024 Games.
He started the day one shot behind co-leaders Schauffele and Rahm, the latter of whom appeared to be pulling clear when he led by four after 10 holes.
But the Spaniard’s round began to unravel thereafter and, with defending champion Schauffele already fading, McIlroy and then Scheffler began to charge.
It was the American who avoided costly errors while all around him buckled and did enough to retain the men’s gold medal for USA and claim his seventh win of the season.