Tommy Fleetwood, Hideki Matsuyama savor Paris Olympic podium moments

Tommy Fleetwood never dreamt that he’d become an Olympic medalist. It’s understandable, considering golf wasn’t an Olympic sport during Fleetwood’s upbringing in Southport, England. The four majors, the Ryder Cup, and season-long titles were the stuff of dreams.

Fleetwood is here now though, an Olympic silver medalist, and he relished the moment on the podium Sunday at the men’s Olympic golf competition. He proudly shared the stage with gold medalist Scottie Scheffler (USA) and bronze medalist Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), wrestling with the duality of losing to Scheffler by a shot but also contributing to Great Britain’s medal tally. It’s a duality not seen often in professional golf – once every four years, to be exact.

There were bittersweet vibes for Fleetwood, who shared the lead with two holes to play Sunday at Le Golf National but flew his second shot just over the green at the tough par-4 17th and was unable to get up and down, leading to a costly bogey. He needed to birdie the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Scheffler for the gold medal, but his second shot from the intermediate rough, 195 yards away, again flew past the green and his birdie chip slid past the hole.

Fleetwood, 33, converted the 6-footer for par to earn the silver medal, avoiding a playoff with Matsuyama, who had carded 6-under 65 in the group prior. Fleetwood closed in 5-under 66, the only medalist to emerge from the final threesome that also included Jon Rahm – who led by four on the final nine but played his final eight holes in 5 over – and 2021 gold medalist Xander Schauffele, who played his last seven in 4 over.

If the outcome was staggering for the other two members in his grouping, it was Fleetwood who remained steady to earn a medal for his country. Fleetwood made eight birdies Sunday, including a downhill 9-footer at the par-3 16th that he trickled into the cup to move into a tie with Scheffler at the time. It set the stage for a potential sudden-death playoff for the gold medal, and although that never materialized, Fleetwood took the podium with his head held high.

“This was an incredible atmosphere to play in front of this week and to be a part of,” Fleetwood said afterward. “I enjoyed it so much and I'm unbelievably proud to be an Olympic medalist. I never thought that that would happen.

“Standing on that podium with a medal in front of the crowd was one of the most amazing moments I've had as a golfer. So I'll remember all those times for the rest of my life.”

Fleetwood joked earlier this week that his son Frankie doesn’t quite consider him an Olympic athlete – compared to those in other sports they’ve visited this week like synchronized diving. Perhaps a medal will give Frankie Fleetwood cause to reconsider.

Fleetwood earns Great Britain’s second medal in men’s golf of the modern Games, as he adds to Justin Rose’s gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games. Matsuyama, meanwhile, delivers Japan its first men’s golf medal of the modern age; he also serves redemption from a 7-for-1 loss in a bronze medal playoff at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

Matsuyama was in serious contention for Olympic gold throughout the week – he took the first-round lead with an 8-under 63, and he shared the 36-hole lead with Fleetwood and Schauffele – but he was slowed by a 2-over front nine in a third-round 71 that left him three strokes off the pace into the final day. The nine-time TOUR winner offered a spirited effort Sunday, playing his first 12 holes in 6 under to move back into contention for Olympic gold, but six straight closing pars kept him from challenging for the title. Still, it was enough to add to his home country’s medal count and make an indelible memory.

The 2028 Los Angeles Games will conduct its men’s golf competition at Riviera Country Club, the venue where Matsuyama won The Genesis Invitational earlier this year. Perhaps the next step is Olympic gold – a title that Fleetwood will be hungry to add to his resume as well.

Close doesn’t always count in men’s professional golf, but it does at the Olympics, as evidenced by the podium smiles for Fleetwood and Matsuyama. It isn’t quite gold, but it’s something to savor.

“If you're not going to enjoy those times, then you know, you're not going to get much happiness from the game of golf,” Fleetwood said. “I thought it was great and I enjoyed competing against the best players in the world for something that is so sought after and so cherished. This isn't going to happen again now for four years. You’re always aware of that.

“Every single athlete that's here … put their heart and soul into their chosen craft and get the opportunity to do this every four years. To be a part of it, I'm unbelievably proud.”