KAWAGOE, Japan (AP) — Right when it looked as though Xander Schauffele had lost his grip on an Olympic gold medal, he delivered two clutch putts Sunday for a one-shot victory in the men's golf competition.
Schauffele made a 6-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to take the lead, and then made a 4-foot par putt on the final hole for a 4-under 67.
Former Arizona Wildcat Rory Sabbatini of Slovakia set the men's Olympic record with a 61 and won the silver. The 1998 Pac-10 Golfer of the Year was a two-time All-American at Arizona, and won the individual national championship in '97.
Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, hoping to add a gold medal to go with his Masters green jacket, missed too many putts down the stretch and finished two shots behind. He was still in the running for a bronze medal.
The competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club was so tense that on the final hole, nine players were still in the running for all three medals. Matsuyama was part of a seven-man playoff for the bronze, a group that included Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa.
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