American golfer Scottie Scheffler has an impressive resume, including two Masters wins, 42 top-five finishes, a world number one ranking and career prize money of $70 million. But until Sunday he hadn’t won an Olympic gold medal, and his tears at the medal ceremony showed just how much this latest achievement meant to the 28-year-old.
Scheffler shot a 9-under 62 in the final round in France to win the gold medal by one stroke over Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood with a four-round total of -19. Fleetwood (-18) won the silver medal, and Hideki Matsuyama (-17) of Japan won the bronze medal.
Scheffler was visibly overcome with emotion as the country’s anthem was played and wiped tears from his eyes, with a video of the moment going viral on social media.
Scottie Scheffler is deeply moved when he hears the Stars and Stripes after winning an Olympic gold medal. 🥹🇺🇸
📺 Golf Channel and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/kgsOVOBZjD
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 4, 2024
Scheffler then explained his feelings.
“First of all, I’m proud of where I come from,” Schaeffler told media members. “I’m proud to be an American. [also] I was deeply moved when I saw the gold medal ceremony for women’s gymnastics the other day.
Like Scheffler, the U.S. women also won gold in team gymnastics.
“I am tremendous pride “It was a real honour to come here and represent my country,” he said. “It was very emotional standing on stage singing the national anthem as the flag was raised. [It’s] It’s definitely something that will be remembered for a long time.”
When asked about his family roots, Schaeffler said he is of Italian descent on his mother’s side. His father’s side is German.
“We’ve been here for generations,” he said. “I learned from an early age to take off my hat and put my hand over my heart when singing the national anthem. … My parents taught me from an early age what it means to be an American and what it means to be free, and I’m proud to represent this country this week.”
“Scheffler Team USA 2024″🥰#Paris2024 | @USAGolf pic.twitter.com/ZzVWWpllVg
— Olympic Golf (@OlympicGolf) August 4, 2024
In April, Scheffler made waves at the Masters. Said It’s his Christian faith, not golf, that defines who he is.
“I’m a person of faith. I believe in a creator. I believe in Jesus,” Scheffler said in April. “I think at the end of the day, that’s what defines me the most. Yeah, I feel like I’ve been given a platform to compete and to showcase my talents. … I think that’s what defines me the most. I believe in one creator. Called It appears here [and] “I just try my best to compete and give glory to God. That’s it.”
Photo credit: ©Facebook/Olympic Golf
Michael Faust He has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years, and his work has appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star and Knoxville News Sentinel.
