Victor Perez just misses medals at home Olympics

By Paul Martin at Le Golf National

Edinburgh-based Frenchman Victor Perez came within a whisker of a medal at his home Olympics after a stunning final round at Le Golf National.

Roared on by a partisan Parisian crowd who chanted his name throughout, Perez flew down the back nine in 29 to card an eight-under-par 63 which left him -16 for the week.

He then faced a nervous wait to find out if he would be back for a medal play-off but ultimately ended a shot adrift of the podium, which was occupied by Scottie Scheffler (-19), Tommy Fleetwood (-18) and Hideki Matsuyama (-17).

Perez’s remarkable run for home saw him go birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie between 12 and 16 as his compatriots behind the ropes began to dream of something special.

The 31-year-old, whose golfing base is The Renaissance Club, left his charge marginally too late but hailed those in attendance who made his home Games one to remember.

“The Olympics are able to bring not a 100 per cent golf crowd, which I think is great,” said Perez, who has been based in Scotland since 2017 – initially in Dundee before a recent switch to the capital with partner Abigail, a dentist from Brechin.

“People probably go online, see the golf is on, decide to buy tickets and come watch. Obviously it's quite entertaining.

"Paris and Le Golf National have done a great job at having us and hosting the event. It's been such an iconic venue since the 2018 Ryder Cup.

“I don't think there's any shots that I could have picked up, on the back nine for sure. Even on the front nine.

“I played really well. The course is not particularly easy.”

Perez and his front-running rivals certainly made it appear that way as they traded blows over a captivating final round.

At one stage, it looked like a procession for Jon Rahm. Beginning with a share of the overnight lead alongside Xander Schauffele, fresh from his Open win at Troon, Rahm reached the turn in 31 and held a four-shot lead heading to the 11th tee.

But that was wiped out in the space of two holes, Fleetwood capitalising on Rahm’s consecutive bogeys with successive birdies, and the Spaniard then double-bogeyed the 14th to move out the medal places altogether. He wouldn’t return.

Rory McIlroy also narrowly missed out, finishing in fifth on -15, as Scheffler ruthlessly seized the initiative.

The world no.1 carded four consecutive birdies between 13 and 17 to climb to the summit, which he shared with Fleetwood as the Englishman – part of the final trio – arrived at the 17th.

But Fleetwood paid for an errant tee shot and bogeyed, then missed the green on 18 when needing a birdie to force a play-off.

He holed a nervy six-footer for silver, with Matsuyama completing the podium on a remarkable day of low scoring.

“There’s part of me that’s disappointed, of course, but at the same time I never dreamt I would be an Olympic medallist,” Fleetwood said.

“I haven’t been in the mix that much recently and being back there, playing well and feeling how that felt again, I enjoyed it so much and that’s what I’ll take away

“It feels unbelievably special and I know I didn’t win gold, a very good golfer did, but standing on that podium with a medal was one of the most amazing moments I’ve had as a golfer.

“I’ll remember those times for the rest of my life.”

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