Golf star Xander Schauffele has revealed the desire to clinch a top-three finish at the Olympic Games is even more intense for golfers than in traditional tournaments. The Californian has already triumphed at The Open and PGA Championship this year and is well in the frame to add another Olympic gold to that list.
Despite having two major titles under his belt and nine PGA Tour win, Schauffele has emphasised the unique reverence he and his peers - including those who joined LIV Golf - hold for the Olympics. Schauffele, 30, backed up his words by tying for the lead with Spain's Jon Rahm after the third round in Paris, while Team GB's Tommy Fleetwood lagged just one stroke behind in third place.
With the prospect of securing another Olympic medal in reach, Schauffele confessed that all golfers are fiercely determined to secure a podium spot, valuing it even more dearly than usual. In a recent appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast (via The Mirror), Schauffele compared the players' mindset towards the Games against that of the majors: "It's pretty different. You're essentially on a team.
Related articles
"I approach it the same way [as a Major], to be honest. It's a 72-hole stroke play and there's 60 guys and everyone is playing under their country and everyone wants to win.
"I think the emphasis on second and third is a lot more than a normal tournament. You podium, versus if you don't do well and you come in second or third or if you're doing well and then you fail at the end, you feel [bad]." Crucially, he concluded: "I think in the Olympics, everyone is fighting to finish in the top three more so than any tournament, I'd say."
Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy perfectly encapsulated Schauffele's sentiments. Initially, he was lukewarm about the idea of participating in the Games when it was reintroduced at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
This year, however, McIlroy confessed he would be honoured to stand on the podium or even clinch a gold medal in Paris. The 35-year-old, who started Sunday's final round in sixth, said: "It would be the achievement, certainly of the year.
"If not - I think for me, it's well documented that I haven't won one of the big four (majors) in 10 years. It would probably be one if, if not the biggest in my career for the last 10 years."
Discovery+ is the new home of the Olympics. The streamer is set to broadcast 3,800 hours of sport live from Paris.
Sports fans can get Discovery+ for £3.99 a month until the end of 2024 via Amazon Prime's video channels. This also comes with an Amazon Prime 30-day free trial.
Speaking about his enjoyment of the competition, the Ireland representative continued: "With so many events going on spread all across the city, for people to venture out here and to watch us play, it was a really cool atmosphere to play in.
"I was not expecting this. I thought the weekend it might get a few more people. I thought the first couple days might be a little bit quieter but it was awesome. Tokyo was a ghost town [due to COVID-19 restrictions].
"This was much better. I think the crowd support that we all got out there was amazing. Obviously there's a few more flags and there's a bit more, I don't know what the word is, like nationalism. But we were all really well supported out there. It was great to see."
