Ten shots.
That was the difference between Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler’s back-nine scores Sunday in the final round of the 2024 Olympic men’s golf competition. Scheffler, the world No. 1, shot 29 and won gold after a final-round 62. Rahm, who led by four shots with eight holes to play, shot 39 on the back and finished four behind Scheffler and off the podium.
“I don’t remember the last time I played a tournament and I felt this — 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,” Rahm said.
Rahm, who last week won for the first time in more than a year at LIV Golf UK, birdied the par-4 10th hole after a brilliant approach to move to 6 under for the round and four clear of the field with eight to play. That’s when it all went downhill, as he said, four holes that changed the outcome of the tournament.
He three-putted the par-3 11th for a bogey. Then on the 12th, a wayward tee shot led to another bogey. The dagger, however, was the par-5 14th, the easiest hole of the week. A drive into the left rough forced a layup, but the third shot went left and short of the green. He left the chip short, and after finally getting on the green with his fifth shot, he two putted for a double, the worst score on the 14th all week.
“The main mistake is the third shot on 14,” Rahm said. “Once I missed the fairway, which can’t happen because it’s a tough tee shot to hit, you know, put a lay up, it was a good lay up, I can’t do what I did on the third shot. Can’t go left; 8-iron, 162 metres, I believe. Trying to take long out of play and knowing that short right is fine. Yeah, can’t go left of that green, right, and ended up in a terrible lie. Ended up paying the price for compounding mistakes on that hole.”
Jon Rahm during the final round of the men’s golf competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Le Golf National. (Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)
The collapse is strange from Rahm, who after withdrawing from the U.S. Open because of a foot injury has been on a roll. His worst finish all year on LIV Golf is T-10, and he’s second in the season-long standings. He had a strong showing at the Open Championship two weeks ago, and last week, he won again.
When Rahm was up by four shots with eight to play, it seemed as if the tournament was over. He was the only player all week…
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