American golf star Scottie Scheffler has added an Olympic gold medal to his collection after coming out on top in a dramatic battle with Tommy Fleetwood on Sunday.
Scheffler, who won his second Masters championship earlier this year, produced a late barrage of birdies which fired him into top spot after the 17th at Le Golf National, south of Paris.
The world No 1 posted a course record-tying 62 before anxiously waiting to discover if Fleetwood would match his score and force a playoff hole.
And when the Brit failed to pull out a final-hole birdie which would have done so, Scheffler could be seen celebrating on the range with caddie Ted Scott after becoming an Olympic champion.
Fleetwood was forced to settle for silver in France, while Hideki Matsuyama made up the top three with the Japanese star shooting a final-round 65 to clinch a bronze medal on -17.
American golf star Scottie Scheffler has added an Olympic gold medal to his collection
Meanwhile Spain’s Jon Rahm blew a sizeable lead heading into the back nine after dropping six shots to fall outside of the medal places.
The victory means Scheffler becomes the first ever world No 1 to capture Olympic gold while holding the top spot.
It is the latest chapter of a remarkable story for the 28-year-old, who was infamously arrested while making his way into the PGA Championship in Kentucky earlier this year.
He came into the final round with momentum after making three birdies in his last six holes on Saturday to move four shots off the lead.
Scheffler had plenty of help on Sunday, nevertheless. Rahm had a four-shot lead over Fleetwood when he stepped on the 11th tee, before the Team GB star caught him in two holes after a stunning collapse.
That opened the door for six players – including Victor Perez of France, who came within one shot of the podium.
Scheffler produced a late barrage of birdies which fired him into top spot after the 17th
Fleetwood was forced to settle for silver in France after failing to produce a final-hole birdie
The winis the latest chapter of a remarkable story for Scheffler, who was infamously arrested while making his way into the PGA Championship in Kentucky earlier this year
But it was Scheffler who charged to the front with four straight birdies down the stretch, none bigger than gouging a shot out of deep rough on the 17th hole and making the 18-foot birdie putt to take the lead for the first time all day.
He set an Olympic record for 72 holes at 19-under 265. Fleetwood, who fell out of the lead with a bogey from the rough on the 17th, got up-and-down for par on the final hole for a 66 to win the silver medal.
The bronze went to Hideki Matsuyama, in the mix on the back nine until closing with six straight pars for a 65.
Scheffler becomes the second straight American to win gold in men’s golf, following Xander Schauffele in the Tokyo Games.
