Victor Pérez was on the verge of joining the ranks of Leon Marchand, Kylian Mbappé and countless other French sporting stars with his spectacular performance in the men’s golf competition at the Olympics.
The Frenchman shot an 8-under 63 on Sunday, including a thrilling 29 on the back nine that captured the hearts of many. Perez fell one stroke behind eventual bronze medal winner Hideki Matsuyama, but he still captivated the thousands of sports fans cheering him on at Le Golf National. An eagle on the par-5 14th hole propelled Perez into a medal contender that countless people, including Perez himself, never expected.
“When I got the eagle on No. 14, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m actually in this group!'” Perez said.
“Obviously it was a great round. I don’t think I hit any shots in the first nine holes or even the second nine holes that I could have hit. I thought I played really well.”
Perez made three birdies on the 14th hole, then birdied the 15th and 16th holes to move to 16 under par and into contention for the win. He tried for birdies on the final two holes, but narrowly missed both. But on the 17th green, French fans sang the national anthem for Perez, and when he made his putt on the 18th green, he was met with an incredible ovation.
“Obviously I think what makes Le Golf National special is the amphitheatre on the 15th and 16th holes, the big crowd on the 18th hole, and then the last hole where the crowds are there. It’s even more so in the Ryder Cup, when both holes are completely full and even the spectators in the grandstands and on the first hole are trying to see the 18th hole, which is quite far away,” Perez explained.
“Finally, the theater created an atmosphere that is rarely experienced — a stadium-like atmosphere that we all enjoy but rarely get in golf.”
With plenty of sporting action taking place in the greater Paris area this week, many fans took to the course to watch some of the world’s best athletes compete in the iconic venue.
That only worked in Perez’s favor, as he was clearly the biggest draw on Sunday, more popular than Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood.
“The Olympics will bring in 100 percent of golf fans, which I think is great. People will probably see online that there are golf matches and then they will buy tickets and come and watch, which is of course very interesting. I think Paris and Le Golf National did a great job of welcoming us and hosting the event,” Perez added.
“It’s an iconic venue and everyone has seen the highlights or at least the winning putts since the 2018 Ryder Cup. It’s been a great week.”
Had Perez won a medal, the party at Le Golf National would have continued late into the night, but he still put in a valiant effort that was well received by his fellow competitors.
“Standing on the 16th tee, watching Victor Perez come up from the 18th hole and seeing the French crowd roaring him, you don’t get that kind of experience outside of the Ryder Cup, maybe playing anywhere else,” McIlroy said.
“I thought it was a great atmosphere and environment to play in and I think everyone on the field had a lot of fun.”
Though Perez fell just short of a bronze medal, perhaps no one had as much fun. Such is the power of friendship and camaraderie, especially on a stage like the Olympics, and on home soil.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.
