It was clear just how much winning Olympic gold would mean to Scottie Scheffler as he stood on the podium on Sunday.
Schaeffler with “The Star-Spangled Banner” playing tearsrecognized the importance of winning a gold medal and representing the United States. But it also showed the world that Scheffler and the world’s best golfers, despite their relative newness to the Olympics, care deeply about the quadrennial tournament, a feeling that many top players did not feel in Rio in 2016. Apparently, every player called it “an amazing week,” and Rory McIlroy even called it “one of the best golf tournaments I’ve ever played.”
At the end of this amazing week, Scheffler, the best player in the world, stood higher on the podium than anyone else. He shot the lowest score, a 9-under 62 on Sunday, and won by one stroke at 19-under in a historic final round that tied the course record. But he didn’t win for himself, he won for his country. And that’s why Scheffler got so emotional as the national anthem played.
“First and foremost, I’m proud of where I come from. I’m proud to be an American. I was moved watching the women’s gymnastics gold medal ceremony the other night. I’m very proud to be here and represent my country,” Scheffler said.
“When you go to sporting events, you hear everyone in the stands singing the national anthem. It’s a very special thing to be a part of and we’re very proud of it. It was very emotional to stand on stage singing the national anthem as the flag was raised. Yes, it’s definitely a memory I’ll cherish for a long time.”
Scheffler said this wasn’t the first time he’d become emotional after a big win.
“I remember after the Masters this year I took a bathroom break and I just wanted to be alone for a bit and then I had a good cry,” Scheffler admitted.
“It’s really emotional sitting on the podium and hearing the national anthem. It’s been a long week. It’s been a challenging week. We played some great golf today and I’m proud to come home with a medal. We had a lot of talented players this week. Our guys played some great golf and I think we should all be proud of the golf we played this week.”
Certainly, the 2024 Olympic men’s golf competition will go down in history as a phenomenal event that will have a profound impact on golf for years to come. The world’s best players climbed a crowded leaderboard to claim the gold medal from fellow contenders like Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama and Tommy Fleetwood. But the crowds were so strong this week that some players even likened it to the Ryder Cup.
While golf will undoubtedly continue to play a role in the Olympic lexicon, Scheffler’s sentiment also shows how much the event means to the sport’s top athletes, which is important because the top athletes had to be there, and they did.
So golf in the Olympics is only set to grow in size and importance, especially when Riviera, a popular PGA Tour course, next hosts the event in 2028.
After all the tears he shed in France, imagine what it would be like for Scheffler to win 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.
