American pro golfer Xander Schauffele has taken home the gold medal for Men’s Golf at this weekend’s Olympic golfing event, held on July 31 in Tokyo.
The pro was faced with multiple challenges during his game. On Hole 14, one of his drives struck out of bounds towards the right, ending as a bogey. After the round, he said he fell short of the gap when he was directing his second shot, but the ball somehow drove into and out of the trees. By Hole 17, Schauffele drove into a sand trap, but an audacious approach created an opportunity for a six-foot birdie putt that he knocked down to take the lead. He was able to pull a par save on 18 after an additional missed fairway. Luckily, Xander was rescued by a clutch approach shot, earning him a one-stroke victory for a final score of 67.
Competitor Rory Sabbatini shot a 61 with two bogeys on his card that almost triggered a playoff for the gold, but ended scoring the silver medal for Slovakia. A seven-man playoff for bronze resulted: both Hideki Matsuyama and Paul Casey were eliminated early on the first extra hole, getting bogeys. Lastly, Rory McIlroy, Mito Pereira, and Sebastian Munoz were pushed on the third playoff hole with pars. The remaining players for the bronze medal were C.T. Pan and The Open champion Collin Morikawa, who both shot 63. Pan came out on top with an eight-foot par to secure the bronze.
Xander Schauffele shared with media that the win is dedicated to both the United States and his swing coach father, Stefan Schauffele.
In other sports news, Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi share the gold medal for the high jump.
