Xander Schauffele clinched the Olympic men’s golf title for the US with a remarkable performance, finishing with a score of 4 under 67 after an intense showdown.
Reflecting on his win, Schauffele expressed his feelings, saying, “Just in shock. I was trying so hard to just stay calm. … But man, it was stressful. And I made that putt and it was just a huge weight lifted off my shoulders and just very relieved and happy.”
Securing victory by a narrow margin, Schauffele edged out Slovakia’s Rory Sabbatini at the Kasumigaseki Country Club, while the bronze medal went to CT Pan of Taiwan. Sabbatini, originally from South Africa, obtained Slovakian citizenship in 2018 through his wife, who had a relative affiliated with the Slovak Golf Federation. His silver medal marked Slovakia’s third medal in the Tokyo Games, adding to the gold in women’s trap shooting and silver in men’s kayaking. He made history as the first Slovakian to compete in golf at the Olympics.
Schauffele’s background is also diverse, with his mother being raised in Japan and having grandparents residing in the country. Unfortunately, they were unable to witness his performance due to stringent spectator restrictions. His father, Stefan, hailing from Germany, had aspired to be an Olympian before a tragic accident with a drunk driver resulted in the loss of one of his eyes.
“I know this means a lot to him,” Schauffele acknowledged. “So I’m just happy to sort of deliver this.”
