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SAITAMA – (Source: Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee (Golf)) – While one swing by American Xander Schauffele nearly changed the dynamics of the men’s golf tournament Sunday at Kasumigaseki Country Club, it was the (61) strokes of eventual silver medalist Rory Sabbatini, representing Slovakia, that really shook the leaderboard and the chase for Olympic glory. Schauffele ultimately emerged the winner on this hot, sunny day, clinching his golden moment with one final, gutsy par-save on the final hole for a 4-under par 67 and 18-under total. But it took the mental resilience he said came by way of his upbringing, fostered by a father of German-French descent and Chinese Taipei mother who was raised in Japan. Consider it a respectful nod to the culture of the host country, where his grandparents still live.

Schauffele remained undeterred through a scoring assault that was unfolding ahead, led by Sabbatini’s brilliant record-setting round (61) that concluded more than an hour ahead of him. In fact, the perfect scoring conditions led to a seven-player elimination for the bronze medal, which was finally decided on the fourth extra hole with C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei beating Collin Morikawa of the USA with a par 4 on No. 18. Both had matched the former Olympic record of (63) Sunday to get into the playoff.

The star-packed field of seven for the sudden death determination of the Bronze medalist that included Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (who shot 67), Paul Casey of Great Britain (68), Rory McIlroy of N. Ireland (67), Mito Pereira of Chile (67) and Sebastián Muñoz of Colombia (67). It was so large, it required splitting into two groups.

Matsuyama and Casey were eliminated first, followed by Muñoz, then Pereira and McIlroy. “I was not able to deliver the performance I was hoping for,” Matsuyama said. ”At the same time, the positive is that I was able to contend. At one point of the round, there was a moment where I could potentially catch up and move past the leaders. But I just was not able to put it together at the end. There are somethings that I’ve identified that I need to work on, which I hope to work on moving forward.”

Morikawa bogeyed the final hole after his approach to the 18th green plugged in the steep upslope of the fronting bunker. C.T. Pan sank a par-saving putt for the medal.

Tokyo Olympics Medals:

🏅Gold – Xander Schauffele (USA) 68-63-68-67—266 (-18)

🥈Silver – Rory Sabbatini (Slovakia) 69-67-70-61—267 (-17)

🥉Bronze *C.T. Pan (Chinese Taipei) 74-66-66-63—269 (-15)

*Won a seven-player sudden death playoff on 4th Hole

Olympic Golf @OlympicGolf

A dramatic finish. This is what the #Olympics is about. 🥇 Xander Schauffele #USA 🥈 Rory Sabbatini #SVK 🥉 C.T. Pan #TPE #Olympics #Golf #Tokyo2020

August 1st 2021

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SAITAMA – Xander Schauffele of the USA leads hometown favorite Hideki Matsuyama after 54 holes in the men’s Olympic golf competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Schauffele followed his torrid second round (63) by shooting 35-33-(68) in R-3 with five scattered birdies along with a bogey on each side.

Japan’s Matsuyama made seven straight pars on the back nine Saturday before breaking the par-streak with a much-needed birdie on No. 17. He had bogeyed No. 1 but played well to stand one off the lead.

South Korea’s Sungjae Im had the best round of the day, shooting (63) and is T-17.

The English pair of Tommy Fleetwood (64) and Paul Casey (66) (competing as Great Britain) moved into contention Saturday. Casey stands at (-12) and is T-3 heading into Sunday’s final round while Fleetwood moved up 15 places and is (-10) and T-9.

First round leader Sepp Straka of Austria shot a (68) and remains in medal contention T-5 at (-11).

Olympic Leaderboard After 54 Holes (Partial Scores):

Xander Schauffele (USA) 68-63-68—199 (-14)

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 69-64-67—200 (-13)

Paul Casey (Great Britain) 67-68-66—201 (-12)

Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) 65-67-69—201 (-12)

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama bounced back nicely from his opening round (69) and was six-under on his round through 16 holes. He stands (-8) and T-3 with three other players, including 18-hole leader Straka. Although there are no spectators allowed on the ground, reports show at least 100 people following Matsuyama around on the course, many credentialed volunteers along with media/photographers.

Mito Pereira of Chile, who shot a 65 in R-2 and is T-3, attended Texas Tech. Previously on the Korn Ferry Tour, Pereira recently won his second and third events of the 2020-21 season, to earn an immediate and automatic promotion to the PGA Tour. Over the past two weeks, he T-5 at the Barbosol Championship and T-6 at the 3M Open.

Rory McIlroy is not wearing a hat, as he usually does on the PGA Tour circuit, and it’s the talk of the sport. Why the change to “no hat?” “My head is so small that I have to get Nike to make me custom hats,” McIlroy told PGATour(dot)com. “So whenever I’m in a team event and the hats aren’t custom, they’re all too big.”

Olympic Leaderboard After 36 Holes (Partial Scores):

Xander Schauffele (USA) – 68-63—131 (-11)

Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) – 65-67—132 (-10)

Mito Pereira (Chile) – 69-65—134 (-8)

Alex Noren (Sweden) – 67-67—134 (-8)

Sepp Straka (Austria) – 63-71—134 (-8)

*Hideki Matsuyama Japan 69-x (-8 thru 16)

Weather Note: Stormy weather delayed the men’s golf tournament at the Tokyo Olympics. Due to dangerous weather (lightning) in the Saitama, Japan area, the second round was suspended at 5:20 pm (local). The second round will resume at 7:45 am Saturday (local time). Third-round tee times will be approximately 9:30-11:18 am (local) off the 1st and 10th tees in threesomes. Play suspended with 16 players set to finish round Saturday morning.

Third-round weather report is calling for some isolated thunderstorms with high humidity (91%) in the morning dropping to (56%) by 4:00pm (local). Saturday temperatures will range from 77-degrees (F) to 88-degrees by 4:00pm.

SAITAMA – Sepp Straka became first Austrian-born player to earn his PGA Tour card in 2019. He played a bogey-free R-1 with four birdies on each side, shooting 32-31-(63). He was born in Vienna but his moved to Valdosta, Georgia, (USA) with his Austrian father and American mother when he was 14 but still stays connected to Austria. Both Sepp and his twin brother, Sam, played golf at the University of Georgia. Sam is carrying his brother’s bag at the Olympics.

Straka MTC on six of his last seven PGA Tour starts.

Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand shot a bogey-free 33-31-(64) with seven birdies on the Kasumigaseki Country Club’s East Course. The 25-year-old, currently ranked 150 in the world, won his first Asian Tour title at the 2017 Bashundhara Bangladesh Open.

Thomas Pieters of Belgium carded his 35-30-(65) with a bogey-free round which included an eagle and four birdies (three of them on back nine).

Patrick Reed, the late replacement for the USA when Bryson DeChambeautested COVID-19+, and Xander Schauffele are currently the Americans in best position. Reed shot 33-35-(68) and Schauffele shot 34-34-(68). They’re T-12 with six other players.

American Collin Morikawa (T-20) shot two-under (69) and is among 11 players six strokes off the lead. Morikawa is coming off his major victory at The Open a couple weeks ago. Justin Thomas (USA) shot (71), even par for the day and is T-41 in the field of 60 players.

Olympic Leaderboard After 18 Holes:

Sepp Straka (Austria) – 63

Jazz Janewattananond (Thailand) – 64

Thomas Pieters (Belgium) – 65

Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) – 65