SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP) — Scottie Scheffler delivered the best performance of his greatest year by rallying from four shots behind on Sunday with a 9-under 62 to win the Olympic gold medal in men's golf in a thriller at Le Golf National.
Already a six-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, including his second Masters title, Scheffler added Olympic gold to an astonishing season with a round that kept some 30,000 fans on edge for a wild final two hours.
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SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP) — Scottie Scheffler delivered the best performance of his greatest year by rallying from four shots behind on Sunday with a 9-under 62 to win the Olympic gold medal in men's golf in a thriller at Le Golf National.
Jon Rahm, of Spain, chips onto the 14th green during the final round of the men's golf at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, reacts to the crowd after making a birdie on the 19th green during the final round of the men's golf at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, looks at his putt on the 18th green during the final round of the men's golf at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, looks at the lie of his putt on the 18th green during the final round of the men's golf at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. (AP Photo/Matt York)
The world's No. 1 player matched the course record at Le Golf National and he still needed plenty of help.
Jon Rahm of Spain had a four-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood of England when he stepped on the 11th tee. Fleetwood caught him in two holes as Rahm had a stunning collapse, starting with a three-putt bogey from 30 feet.
That opened the door for six players — including Victor Perez of France, who came within one shot of the podium and had the French crowd delirious as he played a five-hole stretch in 6 under to bolt into the mix.
But it was Scheffler who charged to the front with four straight birdies down the stretch, none bigger than gouging an 8-iron 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 of Japan, 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.
Schauffele was tied for the 54-hole lead with Rahm until he had a collapse of his own, falling back with a bogey on the 12th from deep rough and another on the 13th when another shot out of the high grass went into the water. He shot 73 and tied for ninth.
“He's been piling up trophies left and right and he keeps moving away from what is the pack of people chasing him in the world,” Schauffele said. “When I take my competitive hat off and put my USA patriot hat on, I’m very happy that we won another gold medal.”
Rory McIlroy of Ireland, who ended his 10th straight year without a major, entered the mix when he began the back nine with five straight birdies. He was one off the lead, in the middle of the 15th fairway with a wedge in his hand. That's where it all went wrong.
He came up short and into the water, taking double bogey and ending his hopes. He had to settle for three pars and a 66 to tie for fifth with Rahm.
But it was the Spaniard who had gold for the taking and now he heads back to Saudi-funded LIV Golf with no medal at all. He missed a 4-foot par putt on the 11th. He missed the fairway on the 12th. And then he really came undone on the par-5 14th.
Rahm missed the fairway left and had to lay up. He hit 8-iron and missed the one place he couldn't afford, to the left of the green in more rough. His pitch up the slope was short and rolled back down. He chipped that one about 4 feet by the hole and then missed the bogey putt.
Just like that, he was was two shots behind and never caught up. Rahm shot 31 on the front and 39 on the back, finishing with two bogeys.
“The second you miss a golf shot, this golf course is going to make you pay the price,” he said.
Scheffler was sheer brilliance with his best score of the year, a 62 that matched the best closing round of his career. He opened with three straight birdies to get his name on the board. He had a pair of 12-foot birdies early on the back nine.
And then Scheffler soared — a tough up-and-down for birdie on the 14th, a wedge to a foot for a tap-in birdie on the 15th, a tee shot to 8 feet on the par-3 16th to tie for the lead. And then a rare show of emotion when his 18-foot birdie putt fell on the 17th.
That proved to be the winner when Fleetwood, who birdied the 16th to tie for the lead, put his tee shot in the same thick rough Scheffler had found earlier. Fleetwood's shot came out hot and over the green, and the best he could do was pitch 20 feet by the hole.
The consolation was the silver, the second men's golf medal for Britain since golf returned to the Olympics in 2016. Justin Rose won the gold in Rio de Janeiro.
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
Tommy Fleetwood, of Britain, react after playing a chip shot onto the 18th green during the final round of the men's golf at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, wins the gold medal with Tommy Fleetwood, of Britain, silver and Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, the bronze. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Jon Rahm, of Spain, chips onto the 14th green during the final round of the men's golf at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, reacts to the crowd after making a birdie on the 19th green during the final round of the men's golf at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, looks at his putt on the 18th green during the final round of the men's golf at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, looks at the lie of his putt on the 18th green during the final round of the men's golf at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. (AP Photo/Matt York)
DILI, East Timor (AP) — The people of East Timor gave Pope Francis a rousing welcome Monday as he arrived in the Southeast Asian country to encourage its recovery from a bloody and traumatic independence battle and celebrate its development after two decades of freedom from Indonesian rule.
Timorese jammed Francis' motorcade route into town from the airport, waving Vatican and Timorese flags and toting yellow and white umbrellas — the colors of the Holy See — to shade themselves from the scorching midday sun.
“Viva el Papa!” they shouted as he passed by. At one point his open-topped car slowed enough so he could bless a baby who was presented to him in the middle of the crowd.
The occasional Timorese guards along the motorcade route were no match for the throngs of people, many donning T-shirts with Francis' face on them, who slowed the convoy of cars and vans to a crawl. The 87-year-old Francis seemed to relish the greeting, smiling broadly from the car and waving as he passed by billboard after billboard featuring his image and words of welcome.
Francis arrived in Dili from Papua New Guinea to open the third leg of his trip through Southeast Asia and Oceania. President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, two of East Timor's most revered independence heroes, greeted Francis at the airport and were meeting with him privately.
The pope was to address government officials and diplomats later Monday after an official welcome ceremony.
The overwhelmingly Catholic East Timor, one of the world’s poorest countries and Asia's youngest, eagerly awaited Francis’ arrival, which came on the heels of the 25th anniversary of the U.N.-backed referendum that paved the way for independence from Indonesia.
“Our great hope is that he may come to consolidate the fraternity, the national unity, peace and development for this new country,” said Estevão Tei Fernandes, a university professor.
It was a far different atmosphere than when the last pope visited. St. John Paul II came in 1989, when Timor was still an occupied part of Indonesia and fighting for its freedom. A decade later, after Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence, Indonesia’s military responded with a scorched-earth campaign that destroyed 80% of the country’s infrastructure and shocked the world. Overall, as many as 200,000 people were killed during the 24 years of Indonesian rule.
John Paul's visit, which culminated with a massive Mass on the seaside near Dili, helped draw international attention to the plight of the Timorese people and shine a spotlight on the oppressiveness of Indonesia's occupation.
“That was a different time,” said Vicente Oliveira Soares, 42, owner of a digital printing business. "Now we are happy because we are free, we as a new nation we are very happy to receive and to meet with Pope Francis.”
Francis will confront Timor's traumatic legacy, and another one closer to home involving Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, the Timorese bishop who, along with Gusmao and Ramos-Horta, is regarded as a hero for his efforts to win independence.
Belo won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 with Ramos-Horta for campaigning for a fair and peaceful solution to the conflict.
But in 2022, the Vatican acknowledged that it had secretly sanctioned Belo two years earlier for sexually abusing young boys. The sanctions included limitations on his movements and exercise of ministry and prohibited him from having voluntary contact with minors or contact with East Timor itself. The sanctions were reinforced in 2021.
Despite the sanctions, which were confirmed at the time by the Vatican spokesman and reaffirmed last week ahead of Francis’ trip, many people in East Timor have stood by Belo, either dismissing, denying or diminishing the victims’ claims. Some even hoped Belo, who lives in Portugal, would be on hand to welcome Francis.
Another priest, American missionary Richard Daschbach, who is also revered for his role in saving lives in the liberation fight, is serving a 12-year sentence in a Timorese prison for molesting disadvantaged girls. He was defrocked by the church.
Ramos-Horta, for his part, told The Associated Press last week that Francis’ visit was not the time to revisit the church’s scandals. While saying it was for the Vatican to manage, having the pope raise the matter of abuse during his visit “would be like trying someone twice,” he told AP.
Only about 20% of East Timor’s people were Catholic when Indonesia invaded in 1975, shortly after Portugal abandoned it as a colony. Today, some 98% of East Timor’s 1.3 million people are Catholic, making it the most Catholic country in the world outside the Vatican.
Francis will celebrate that heritage on Tuesday especially, when he celebrates a Mass on the same seaside esplanade where John Paul celebrated Mass in 1989 and encouraged the Timorese people. Authorities expect some 700,000 people will attend Tuesday's Mass.
Pope Francis arrives at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
People wait for Pope Francis' arrival outside of the Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Pope Francis in a car, is welcomed in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Pope Francis is greeted by East Timor's President Jose Ramos Horta during a welcoming ceremony at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
People try to film Pope Francis with their mobile phone through a fence in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
People wait for Pope Francis' arrival at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
People wait for Pope Francis' arrival at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
East Timorese women weep after Pope Francis's motorcade passes by in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
A child holds a welcome sign for Pope Francis in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
East Timorese gather to see Pope Francis in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Pope Francis waves from the car, in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
An airport staff kisses the Pope Francis' foot at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Pope Francis in the car, is welcomed in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Pope Francis gestures from the car, in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Nuns wait Pope Francis' arrival outside of the Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
The honor guard await the arrival of Pope Francis at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
A mother helps her son to wear a traditional outfit to welcome Pope Francis' visit in Dili, East Timor Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Security stand guard to welcome Pope Francis' visit in Dili, East Timor Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Women with traditional dress prepare to welcome Pope Francis' visit in Dili, East Timor Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Pope Francis waves after giving an address during meeting with young people in the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Security persons stand near banners to welcome Pope Francis' visit in Dili, East Timor Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
People with traditional dress hold banners of Pope Francis as they prepare to welcome the pope's visit in Dili, East Timor Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
People wait Pope Francis' arrival outside of the Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Nuns wait Pope Francis' arrival outside of the Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
East Timorese wearing traditional dresses wait for Pope Francis' arrival outside of the Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
