Tommy Fleetwood made par on the 18th gap to say the silver medal.
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Tommy Fleetwood was on the cusp of the best achievement of his profession on the 2024 Paris Olympics. Taking part in within the remaining group, Fleetwood saved tempo together with his taking part in companions, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele, on the entrance 9, and, as they started to fade, by the twelfth gap, Fleetwood was tied for the lead at 18 beneath par.
Then, Rahm suffered a surprising double-bogey on the 14th gap to fall out of rivalry. In the meantime, a few teams forward, Scottie Scheffler was on a birdie binge, claiming the outright lead with a protracted birdie on No. 17.
Fleetwood birdied the sixteenth gap to tie Scheffler at 19 beneath, however a devastating bogey attributable to a poor chip that Fleetwood didn’t rise up and down on the seventeenth dropped him one shot out of the lead. When Fleetwood additionally didn’t birdie the ultimate gap, his clutch putt for par secured the silver, and Scheffler claimed the gold by one shot.
It was clearly a gutting end for the 33-year-old Englishman, who has additionally by no means received a significant championship, regardless of ending within the high 10 eight occasions, together with two runner-ups.
“There’s a part of me that’s disappointing, after all, however on the identical time, I by no means dreamt that I’d be an Olympic medalist,” he mentioned after the medal ceremony on Sunday. “I’m nonetheless unbelievably proud and pleased with the best way the week went. I used to be pleased with the best way I performed at the moment. And yeah, I loved it a lot. I take that away from it. This was an unimaginable ambiance to play in entrance of this week and to be part of.
“I haven’t been within the combine that a lot lately, and I believe being again there and taking part in properly and feeling how I felt once more, yeah, I loved it a lot,” he continued. “I’m unbelievably proud to be an Olympic medalist. I by no means thought that that may occur.”
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As for the end, Fleetwood mentioned it was a unique feeling to lose the event however take pleasure in chasing a medal.
“Even on the final for me, usually I’d have form of provided that chip a go. I missed it, and I do know I’ve misplaced the event however I used to be nonetheless fairly nervous making an attempt to get that silver medal over that 6-footer,” he mentioned. “In order that’s a unique feeling, as properly.”
For Fleetwood, being again within the combine on such a grand stage was a novel and constructive expertise — and one he mentioned he received’t quickly overlook.
“It feels unbelievably particular,” he mentioned. “I do know I didn’t win gold at the moment, and an excellent golfer did. Standing on that podium with a medal in entrance of the group was one of the superb moments I’ve had as a golfer. So I’ll keep in mind all these occasions for the remainder of my life.
“I’ve definitely beloved that again 9,” he continued. “Nicely, the entire of at the moment however the again 9, in rivalry, taking part in very, very properly. The leaderboard modified fairly a bit, and it was superb to be part of. I believe the principle factor that I take away from it was simply the enjoyment, and I used to be pleased with the best way I performed. I really by no means felt unbelievably comfy with my golf swing this week but it surely’s humorous that there’s loads of occasions the place I felt nice and never bought the outcome out of it. It’s a humorous recreation like that. However I take that away that, actually, the enjoyment.
“Stood on the rostrum there, one of the particular moments of my life and I’ll keep in mind it ceaselessly. Yeah, I believe it means an terrible lot.”
