Tommy Fleetwood within the second spherical of the Olympic Golf occasion.
getty photos
We’re 36 holes into the third Olympics of golf’s fashionable period and it already feels secure to say that is one of the best one but. The star energy within the subject. The crowd help outdoors the ropes. And a golf course with sufficient volatility to maintain followers (and, clearly, gamers) on their toes.
On the midway mark, we’ve bought three leaders and three surprises — let’s get to ’em.
3 LEADERS
1. Xander Schauffele has most likely by no means entered a golf event with higher vibes. He’s defending his Olympic gold medal from Tokyo, for one factor. Even higher, he’s coming off a summer time the place he gained two of the final three main championships. He hasn’t missed a lower because the 2022 Masters (sure, critically) and hasn’t completed outdoors the highest 20 at a serious since then, both. And in contrast to Tokyo, he appears like he can get the complete Olympic expertise this time round.
“For me, Tokyo was actually particular, clearly, however there have been no followers. The town was closed. I used to be caught in my lodge room. Going out to eat dinner, seeing individuals all over the place, seeing followers all over the place chanting, it appears like I’m right here for the primary time,” he stated. “I went to a swim match the opposite night time, put issues into perspective for me. It was very cool.” (Schauffele was blown away by the swimmers, questioning from the stands: “How lengthy would it not take me to do this, 45 minutes?”)
Nelly and Xander gained Olympic gold. Now they need one thing extra
Thus far, so good. Regardless of a pair iron photographs he described as “skanky” and “clanky” to start his first spherical and a weird ant ruling in Spherical 2, Schauffele has appeared very very similar to himself in a 65-66 begin. He’s fourth within the subject in strokes gained on method, second across the inexperienced and twelfth in placing. That’s a harmful mixture.
“It’s a positioning battle popping out of that last stretch and all you’re attempting to do is give your self an opportunity on that again 9,” he stated. He’s T1 at 11 beneath par; we like his possibilities to be there on that again 9.
2. Tommy Fleetwood has been shocking himself.
“I haven’t felt notably comfy with my swing all week,” he stated after a second-round seven-under 64, echoing the identical sentiment he’d expressed after the primary. “However I’ve been doing the issues that I do know are proper and I’ve put the ball in play lots … and I believe steadily as you retain hitting sufficient good photographs, clearly you confidence construct and you retain drawing on these emotions.”
Fleetwood has gained right here earlier than; Le Golf Nationwide was the positioning of his 2017 French Open victory. To American followers, Fleetwood additionally is understood for his shut calls; he hasn’t gained on the PGA Tour and has seven top-fives at majors with no win. However he acknowledged a gold could be fairly particular.
“I try to take a look at issues by the eyes of like, Frankie, my son, at six years outdated,” he stated. “If I had a gold medal … what an unbelievably particular factor to have. I believe having the ability to be part of or one in every of all these unbelievable athletes that put their coronary heart and soul into their chosen craft and a gold medal is absolutely the pinnacle of what they do. I’ve an unbelievable respect for that, and I perceive how particular it’s and the way a lot it means. So I imply, ideally I would love each [a medal and a major] however you already know, nonetheless, a gold medal could be one thing that I might be very pleased with.”
Like Schauffele, Fleetwood is taking part in properly throughout the board — he’s ninth in method play, 4th across the greens and tenth in placing. And, like Schauffele, he’s T1 at 11 beneath par.
3. Hideki Matsuyama was having a powerful season — a win at Riviera, a T6 on the Gamers, one other sixth on the U.S. Open — however a MC-T66 back-to-back in Scotland is who we’d seen most not too long ago. So it was considerably shocking to see him burst into the lead with a Thursday 63. And it’s shocking to see him main the sphere in placing by two rounds; he’s gained greater than 5 strokes on the sphere on the greens and piled up 15 birdies.
Requested what feels good, Matsuyama insisted he’s conserving issues easy.
“I’ve no ideas after I’m taking part in. I simply do my finest second by second,” he stated post-round. It’s working.
3 SURPRISES
1. Golfers weren’t positive what to anticipate from an Olympic crowd, nevertheless it undoubtedly wasn’t this.
There’s a normal theme rising from opponents that’s one thing like this: Whoa.
“I believe it’s taken all people unexpectedly, like how superb the crowds have been and what the ambiance has been like,” Fleetwood stated.
“I don’t know what I used to be anticipating. I heard 30,000 a day, which is lots. It’s a ton of individuals,” Schauffele stated. “And the truth that there’s solely 20 teams, the followers form of — it’s very congested in one of the simplest ways potential.”
“Huge crowd. It was plenty of enjoyable. They have been cheering loud for us,” stated World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. “Was undoubtedly not anticipating that coming in. I didn’t actually know what to anticipate however there’s undoubtedly extra individuals than I anticipated.”
“Basically all through the day the help was mind-blowing,” added Jon Rahm, who sits fourth at 9 beneath.
“Unbelievable,” Rory McIlroy famous. “It was shocking. With so many occasions occurring unfold all throughout town, for individuals to enterprise out right here and to observe us play, it was a very cool ambiance to play in.”
2. Scores are low, so there have been fireworks…
Decrease than you would possibly count on if, like many golf followers, your predominant publicity to Le Golf Nationwide was the chilly, windy, thick-roughed model placed on show on the 2018 Ryder Cup. Three gamers are double-digits beneath par by two rounds. We’ve seen a number of rounds of 63. Three-quarters of the 60-player subject are even par or higher. In all, the course is taking part in to a stroke common just below 70.
3…besides on the 18th gap, the place there’s been catastrophe.
On Thursday the ending par-4 performed to a brutish scoring common of 4.4. On Friday that jumped to just about 4.5, thanks partly to the 2 males on the prime of the leaderboard as they performed the finisher.
Matsuyama was at 13 beneath taking part in his thirty sixth gap of the week; his tee shot discovered a nasty lie in the suitable tough, he laid up, hit his method within the water and did properly to flee with double bogey.
“It was a tragic ending, however I’m glad that right this moment was solely the second day,” he stated.
Fleetwood was pressured to put up, too, after a wayward tee shot. He hit his method to 10 ft however missed that and settled for bogey to fall again right into a three-way tie for the lead. It was a ho-hum bogey, the type you would simply think about the chief making coming down the stretch on Sunday, taking part in for gold. And even for bronze.
“Positively because the week goes on it turns into extra of a psychological problem,” Fleetwood stated.
We’ll be right here watching eagerly because it performs out.
