Scottie Scheffler Wins Gold! - 2024 Olympic Men's Golf Recap | The First Cut Podcast

The First Cut Podcast recapped the 2024 Olympic Golf event, highlighting a thrilling and unpredictable final round. Scotty Sheffler took home the gold with a phenomenal bogey-free 62, showcasing his consistent excellence. Tommy Fleetwood earned silver, demonstrating resilience and skill under pressure, while Hideki Matsuyama secured bronze, marking a redemptive moment after missing out in Tokyo. The podcast also discussed the challenges faced by other top contenders like John Rahm and Xander Schauffele, and celebrated the inspiring performance of Frenchman Victor Perez. The episode concluded with the hosts reflecting on their own Olympic-themed fantasy golf competition.

• The tournament experienced a dramatic shift, particularly on Sunday.
• Initially, the leaderboard seemed stable with expectations of a playoff for silver and bronze medals.
• The final results were unexpected and surprising.

"The speed at which this tournament flipped on its head was unbelievable to me."

• The tournament's unexpected conclusion was shocking due to the rapid changes in the leaderboard.

• The golf course at Lolf National played slightly easier due to conditions such as shorter rough, wider fairways, and receptive greens.
• Despite easier conditions, the course still penalized poor shots and allowed for a variety of scores.

"You had scores between 73 and 62... you had exactly the variety that you expect to see."

• The variety in scores highlighted the balance between making birdies and being penalized for mistakes.

• Olympic Golf is gaining traction and is expected to age well over time.
• The initial struggles with Zika virus and no fans during Tokyo 2021 are giving way to more established and supported events.

"Olympic Golf started out slow... now you're starting to get like okay... these are going to age really, really well."

• The growing acceptance and support for Olympic Golf suggest it will become more prestigious.

• The timing of the event in Paris allowed for a convenient viewing experience for fans.
• Future events, such as the one in Riviera, promise prime-time golf viewing.

"Having this event in Paris... you had a chance to watch this event in the morning and it was reasonable."

• The convenient viewing times enhance the overall experience for fans.

• Discussion about future venues, including Riviera in LA and potentially Royal Melbourne in Australia.
• The logistics of holding events in multiple countries were debated.

"Brisbane in 2032 is where we're going... maybe we should just go to Royal Melbourne."

• The choice of future venues will play a significant role in the event's success and fan engagement.

• John Rahm had a significant lead and was expected to win but collapsed in the final holes.
• His performance from being 20 under par to falling off the podium was shocking.

"John Rahm was 20 under... there was no chance he was gonna drop off the podium."

• Rahm's unexpected mistakes on holes 11, 12, and 14 led to his downfall.

"He misses a short putt at 11... makes an absolute mess of 14 and at that point, it's suddenly over."

• Rahm's disappointing finish highlights the unpredictability of golf.

• Victor Perez had an impressive final round, posting an eight-under 63.
• Despite his strong finish, he fell one short of the podium.

"Victor Perez... closed this weekend 68-63... he posts eight under 63, 16 under for the tournament."

• Perez's performance was a highlight for the French fans, showcasing his talent and determination.

• The event was considered a success with no major complaints from the hosts.
• The variety in scores and the dramatic conclusion added to the excitement.

"I have zero complaints... this was an A++ Perfection plus situation."

• The successful execution of the event bodes well for future Olympic Golf tournaments.

• There was an advertisement break, which was not included in the study notes.

"We're going to take a quick break and hear a word from our partners."

• The advertisement was noted but not detailed as it is not relevant to the key themes discussed.

These notes provide a comprehensive overview of the key ideas and events discussed in the transcript, offering detailed insights into the 2024 Olympic Games' golf tournament.

• Initial Struggles and Comeback:

  • Early holes did not yield birdies for Perez.
  • Strong performance on the back nine, especially a five-hole stretch played in six under par.
  • Quote:

    "He said after he made the eagle on 14, he said to himself, 'Oh exploitive, I think I'm in this.'"

    • Explanation: Reflects Perez's realization of his strong position after a significant shot.

• Key Shots and Moments:

  • Impressive shot on 16, fading the ball to a difficult pin location.
  • Nearly made a long putt on 17, showcasing his skill and composure.
  • Quote:

    "The shot in on 16, the fade accessing that pin location on the right side of the green protected by the water, was awesome."

    • Explanation: Highlights the technical excellence and risk-taking involved in Perez's play.

• Overall Performance:

  • Played the back nine significantly better than the front nine.
  • Only one bogey on the back nine all week.
  • Quote:

    "He played the back nine in 15 under and the front nine in one under."

    • Explanation: Indicates the disparity in performance between the two halves of the course.

• Emotional and Inspirational Impact:

  • Crowd support and personal motivation were high.
  • Perez aimed to inspire young golfers and acknowledged the significance of his performance.
  • Quote:

    "Maybe I'll be an inspiration for those young kids who are watching golf."

    • Explanation: Perez's awareness of his role as a potential role model in golf.

• Consistent Play and Final Round:

  • Strong start with a 63 on Thursday, followed by consistent play.
  • Birdied six of the first 12 holes in the final round, ending with a 65.
  • Quote:

    "He ends up carding a 65 to get him onto that podium."

    • Explanation: Summarizes Matsuyama's strong final round that secured his podium finish.

• Emotional Connection and Cultural Significance:

  • Matsuyama's reactions to missed putts showed his emotional investment.
  • Strong connection to his Japanese heritage and the significance of representing his country.
  • Quote:

    "You could really tell the meaning, the importance behind it."

    • Explanation: Highlights the deep emotional and cultural significance of Matsuyama's performance.

• Technical Excellence:

  • Hit all 18 greens in regulation and 10 fairways, showcasing technical proficiency.
  • Avoided major mistakes on a challenging course.
  • Quote:

    "18 greens in regulation, 10 fairways, I mean just stripe show from Hideki."

    • Explanation: Emphasizes Matsuyama's precision and consistency in his play.

• Early Setbacks and Recovery:

  • Began with a bogey on the first hole but quickly recovered with three consecutive birdies.
  • Maintained strong performance throughout, despite a late bogey on 17.
  • Quote:

    "He immediately made bogey on number one and I thought, 'Uh, here we go,' but then he rattles off three straight birdies."

    • Explanation: Illustrates Fleetwood's resilience and ability to recover from early setbacks.

• Clutch Putting and Decision-Making:

  • Made a crucial putt on 18 to secure a silver medal, avoiding a playoff.
  • Demonstrated strong putting skills, especially under pressure.
  • Quote:

    "He rolled it right in the middle, so long story short, Greg, I saw the chops from Tommy Fleetwood."

    • Explanation: Highlights Fleetwood's composure and skill in high-pressure situations.

• Comparison to Past Performances:

  • Performance reminiscent of his strong showings in other major events.
  • Consistent high-quality shots and effective putting.
  • Quote:

    "It had vibes of the Ryder Cup where Tommy's great in those events and he steps up and hits great shots."

    • Explanation: Draws parallels between Fleetwood's current performance and his past successes.

• No Playoffs This Year:

  • Unlike previous years, the tournament concluded without any playoffs.
  • The clean run-out was noted as a significant change from past events.
  • Quote:

    "We had no playoffs this time around, last year we were blessed with a seven-way playoff for bronze."

    • Explanation: Highlights the straightforward conclusion of the tournament this year.

• Overall Tournament Highlights:

  • Various players showcased their skills and emotional investments.
  • The tournament featured significant moments of technical excellence and personal triumphs.
  • Quote:

    "It's one of the rare times where you come up short in sports and still walk away feeling like a winner."

    • Explanation: Emphasizes the positive takeaways and memorable experiences for the players, despite not winning medals.

• Tommy Fleetwood's performance was highlighted by key moments, including birdies, pars, and unfortunate bogeys.
• Fleetwood made significant birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, putting pressure on John Rahm.
• He experienced a setback on the 14th hole but managed to make par.
• The putt on the 16th hole was crucial for matching Scotty Scheffler.
• Fleetwood's overall performance was commendable, despite the bogey on the 17th hole.

"John ROM he's the one who had John ROM on his back foot for that stretch there in the middle portion of the back nine with the birdie on 11 with a great iron shot into 12 as well."

• Fleetwood's birdies on the 11th and 12th holes were critical in putting pressure on John Rahm.

"He got completely boned on 14 in my opinion was able to make par but that's a whole you're looking to birdie."

• Despite a challenging situation on the 14th hole, Fleetwood managed to make par, although it was a hole where a birdie was expected.

"The putt on 16 also when you gotta have it probably your last good birdie chance you gotta have it to match Scotty Sheffler guess what center cut see you later."

• The putt on the 16th hole was crucial for Fleetwood to stay in contention with Scotty Scheffler.

• Scotty Scheffler had a phenomenal round, scoring a bogey-free 62, with six birdies on the back nine.
• His performance included critical moments such as a challenging chip on the 13th hole and impressive birdies on the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes.
• Scheffler's consistency and ability to lead in key statistics like strokes gained approach and tee to green were highlighted.
• His performance is compared to Tiger Woods in terms of consistency and dominance.

"He did it Patrick he did it we were called we said where's that low round right Scotty hasn't had the low round just yet well he has now a nine under bogey free 62."

• Scheffler's performance was highlighted by a bogey-free round with nine under par, showcasing his dominance.

"He makes six birdies he plays the final nine in 20 nine as you mentioned earlier 10 shots better than John ROM."

• Scheffler's back nine performance was exceptional, with six birdies and a score of 29, significantly better than John Rahm.

"His ability to control the ball out of the rough get the distance right at number 17 from a very difficult spot leave it under the hole leave it in the easiest putt possible."

• Scheffler's skill in controlling the ball from difficult positions and placing it in optimal spots was crucial for his success.

• Scheffler's game from tee to green is consistently strong, often leading in strokes gained approach.
• His ability to finish rounds strongly and maintain a high level of play is compared to Tiger Woods.
• Scheffler's performance is described as video game-like, with maxed-out skills and consistent dominance.

"You are not supposed to be able to do this it is really hard to know when you're in a moment right you usually look back at moments we're seeing someone at the peak of his craft."

• Scheffler's performance is described as exceptional and rare, with a comparison to Tiger Woods' dominance.

"Every time you look at The Strokes gate approach leaderboard sheffer's one or two or three by the end of the week he's one or two every time guess what he is this week number one."

• Scheffler's consistent performance in strokes gained approach is highlighted, often leading the leaderboard.

"It looks like I created him in a golf video game I have maxed I have maxed out his skills and I am running through career mode and I'm just beating the crap out of the computer."

• Scheffler's performance is compared to a video game character with maxed-out skills, showcasing his dominance.

• The podium finishers, including Scotty Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood, and Hideki Matsuyama, are described as deserving and great role models.
• Each player's journey and achievements are highlighted, emphasizing their consistency and impact on the sport.

"This Podium feels like a very deserving Podium um not to say that other guys didn't deserve it or whatever but Scotty sheffer's been by far the best player in the world for a long time."

• The podium finishers are described as deserving, with Scotty Scheffler being the best player in the world for a long time.

"You look at the pride that Hideki matama has for his country we shared that already how respectful he is how um you know he's he's an unbelievable role model."

• Hideki Matsuyama's pride for his country and respectful nature are highlighted, showcasing him as a great role model.

"Tommy Fleetwood I've never heard anybody say a bad thing about Tommy Fleetwood unbelievable role model."

• Tommy Fleetwood is described as an unbelievable role model, with a consistent and commendable career.

• Xander Schauffele had a challenging final round, with bogeys and a double bogey affecting his performance.
• Despite a strong start, Schauffele's performance declined, leading to a disappointing finish.

"Xander Schley limed to the Finish Line Patrick and this was it was ugly it was an ugly Sunday you know and kind of out of nowhere considering the fact fact that he's had such an amazing year."

• Schauffele's final round is described as ugly and disappointing, despite having an amazing year overall.

"He turned in one under he Bogi 12 he Bogi 13 He doubled 15 it was a disaster Zone not great."

• Schauffele's performance on the back nine was challenging, with bogeys and a double bogey affecting his score.

"Got off to a solid start two under through four rolled in a really nice putt there that was matched by John ROM and then I think number eight was."

• Schauffele's strong start is noted, but his performance declined as the round progressed.

• Xander Schauffele experienced a significant moment where he fell five strokes back due to a missed short putt while Jon Rahm made a crucial par putt.
• Despite a birdie on the 11th hole, Xander struggled with his ball striking, leading to multiple bogeys and a disappointing finish.
• This performance contrasts with his otherwise stellar season, highlighting the challenges of maintaining consistent high-level play in golf.

"A really big moment for him where Jon Rahm missed left, chipped it to about 20 feet, he drains his par putt, and Xander misses one from just about five feet, even inside that perhaps."

• Xander's missed short putt was a pivotal moment, causing him to fall significantly behind.

"This happened to Xander Schauffele for a lot of his career where he would come out on Sunday and have a slow finish."

• Xander's struggles on the final day are not uncommon in his career, illustrating the difficulty of consistently performing under pressure.

• Xander's performance is compared with other top golfers like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm.
• The discussion emphasizes how difficult it is to consistently perform at a high level in golf, even for the best players.

"The arguments were being written for Xander over Scottie, right? He's the player of the year, he's really the best player of the year."

• Xander was being considered for player of the year over Scottie Scheffler, highlighting his excellent season.

"This is why it's so special when you see guys like Scottie Scheffler continue to finish the way that he finishes."

• Scottie Scheffler's consistent high-level performance is rare and noteworthy.

• Scottie Scheffler won the tournament, with Tommy Fleetwood taking silver and Hideki Matsuyama earning bronze.
• Xander Schauffele finished tied for ninth with several other players.

"Xander Schauffele finishes in a tie for ninth with Cory Connors, Jason Day, Joaquin Niemann, and Thomas Detry."

• Xander's final standing in the tournament, tied with other notable players.

"It is Scottie Scheffler who goes home with the gold, it is Tommy Fleetwood who takes the silver, and Hideki Matsuyama earns the bronze."

• The top three finishers in the tournament.

• The podcast hosts discuss their betting results, including successful bets and near misses.
• Kyle had John Rahm at 10 to 1 to win, which seemed promising but ultimately did not pay off.
• Greg successfully bet on Scottie Scheffler as the outright winner and a matchup between Sepp Straka and Matt Fitzpatrick.

"Kyle got Matt Fitzpatrick to finish inside the top 20 at plus 200. Kyle also had Jon Rahm at 10 to 1 to win this golf tournament."

• Kyle's bets and their outcomes.

"Greg, you did better—Sepp Straka over Matt Fitzpatrick in a matchup, cash that, and then of course Scottie Scheffler, three and a half to one as your outright winner."

• Greg's successful bets, highlighting his better performance in betting.

• The hosts participated in a fun competition where they selected golfers from different countries based on specific criteria.
• The competition was chaotic, with last-minute changes and selections, but ultimately led to a ranking of the participants.

"We each selected four different golfers; they had to be from four different countries. Josh gave us guidelines so we could only select one golfer inside the top 10 of the OWGR, one had to come from 11 to 30, one had to come from 31 to 100, and one had to come from outside the top 100."

• The rules and structure of the OneWe Olympics competition.

"This was so chaotic that it led to Mark selecting golfers that were not even in the field, and we had to work around that."

• The chaotic nature of the competition and its impact on selections.

• The final rankings of the OneWe Olympics were revealed, with Kyle Porter earning the bronze, Patrick McDonald earning the silver, and Rick RunGood winning the gold.
• The medals are to be kept until the next Olympics in LA in 2028, making them a significant and long-lasting award.

"Earning the bronze medal from now until LA with a score of 35 under with Xander Schauffele, Shane Lowry, Min Woo Lee, and Matteo Manassero is Kyle Porter."

• Kyle Porter's third-place finish and the team he selected.

"At 39 under par with a team of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Alex Noren, and Guido Migliozzi, Patrick, you have already been adorned with your silver medal."

• Patrick McDonald's second-place finish and the team he selected.

"I had Scheffler, I had Hideki, I had Corey Conners who finished T9, and Joaquin Niemann who also finished T9, so I got 60 under and I will get the gold."

• Rick RunGood's first-place finish and the team he selected.

• The hosts shared their final thoughts, looking forward to upcoming events and continuing their coverage of the golf season.
• The next major event is the Wyndham Championship, with a series of preview and recap shows planned.

"We roll on Monday, we're doing a DFS preview for the Wyndham Championship. Tuesday, we've got the mega preview pod. Wednesday, we've got a network show. Friday, we got a network show. Round by round recaps, we must go on."

• The schedule for the upcoming coverage of the Wyndham Championship and other events.

"Enjoy your afternoons, fellas. Yep, I'm with you. Enjoy your afternoons. We will see you all tomorrow."

• The hosts' closing remarks and well-wishes to the listeners.