Olympics: Scottie Scheffler tearing up shows how much this means

You could sense how much winning an Olympic gold medal meant to Scottie Scheffler as he stood on the podium on Sunday.

With the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ playing, Scheffler teared up, recognizing the significance of winning gold and representing the United States in doing so. But it also showed the world that Scheffler and the world’s best golfers—relatively new to the Olympics—care deeply about the quadriennial competition, a feeling many top players did not have in Rio in 2016. Seemingly, every player called this an “amazing week,” with Rory McIlroy even calling it “one of the best golf tournaments” he has ever played in.

Once this terrific week came to a close, Scheffler, the best player in the world, stood on the podium higher than everyone else. He posted the lowest score, winning by one at 19-under overall after shooting a 9-under 62 on Sunday, a historic final round that tied the course record. But he did not win for himself; instead, he won for his country, which explains why Scheffler was overcome with emotion while his national anthem played.

“First and foremost, I’m proud of the country I’m from. I’m proud to be American. I got emotional the other night watching the gold medal ceremony for women’s gymnastics. I take tremendous pride in coming over here and representing my country,” Scheffler said.

Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images

“When you go to a sporting event, you hear everybody in the stands singing the National Anthem, and it’s a pretty special thing to be a part of. I think that’s something we take tremendous pride in. It was just very emotional being up there on stage as the flag was being raised and sitting there singing the National Anthem. Yes, that’s definitely one I’ll remember for a long time.”

Scheffler then revealed that this was not the first time his emotions got the best of him after a big win.

“I remember after the Masters this year, I took a bathroom break, but really, I just wanted to be by myself for a minute. I cried pretty good after that one,” Scheffler admitted.

“It’s emotional sitting there on the podium and hearing your National Anthem, it really is. It’s been a long week. It’s been a challenging week. I played some great golf today, and I’m proud to be going home with a medal. There were a lot of talented guys in the field this week. These guys played tremendous golf, and I think we should all be proud of the golf that we played this week.”

Indeed, the 2024 Olympic Men’s Golf Competition will go down in the history books as a phenomenal event, one that will have a significant impact on golf for years to come. We had the top player in the world race up a stacked leaderboard and steal the gold medal away from fellow contenders Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama, and Tommy Fleetwood. But we also had a tremendous crowd that made some players compare this week to the Ryder Cup.

Golf will undoubtedly continue to play a role in the Olympics lexicon, but Scheffler’s emotion also showed how much this event means to those at the top of the sport. That’s important because the top players needed to buy in, and they have.

Thus, golf at the Olympics will only continue to grow bigger and more significant, especially when Riviera, a PGA Tour favorite, hosts this competition next time around in 2028.

So, with Scheffler tearing up like he did in France, imagine what he would feel like if he won on his home soil. Imagine.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.