SAINT QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – The French and English might not always be on the best of terms, famously known for not getting along, especially when it comes to sports.
But Tommy Fleetwood said Hideki Matsuyama jokingly wondered about his nationality given all the support the Englishman was getting on Friday from a predominantly French audience during the second round of the Olympic Golf Tournament.
“It's been great,’’ said Fleetwood, who despite a bogey on the final hole holds a share of the lead with Matsuyama and Xander Schauffele. “The crowd has been absolutely amazing. It's a different set of supporters than what we get week-in and week-out.
“It's a very Olympic crowd and atmosphere and it's been great. I always consider myself very lucky with the support I get but they have been amazing out there. Wyndham (Clark) and Hideki, both—so that was sweet. They have been great with me.’’
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Fleetwood’s 7-under-par 64 put him in position to earn a medal this weekend at Le Golf National, where the PGA Tour and DP World Tour won player the French Open in 2017 and starred in the Ryder Cup in 2018.
His only blemish was that bogey on 18, a hole that promises to be interesting over the weekend. The hole has caused it’s share of fits. Matsuyama made a double-bogey there to fall into a tie with Schauffele, who added a 66 to his opening 65.
“It was a sad ending, but I'm glad that today was only the second day,’’ said Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion who missed out on a bronze medal in Japan three years ago when he lost in a playoff. “I think it means I need to change my mindset for the third day. I was glad I was able to get birdies.’’
That trio has played 36 holes in 131, 11 under par on a relatively benign course that is playing soft. They will be in the same group that tees off at 12:39 p.m. local time (6:39 a.m. ET) on Saturday.
Jon Rahm, with a 66, pulled within two shots of the leaders. Belgium’s Thomas Detry, Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan (who won bronze in 2021) and South Korea’s Tom Kim are another shot back.
Scottie Scheffler is on the fringe of contention in a tie for 10th and five strokes behind the leaders while Rory McIlroy will have to come from six behind.
“It's a great atmosphere to play in,’’ McIlroy said. “It's awesome, just the enthusiasm of the crowd is great.’’
There are 18 players within six shots of the lead.
Not much has gotten in Schauffele’s way of late, so perhaps he was due for some interference from nature.
A pile of ants, of all things, sent Schauffele on his way to a rare bogey. And not even that managed to knock him out of a share of the lead.
Schauffele, the reigning gold medal winner fresh off a win at the British Open, encountered his issue at the par-4 13th hole where he hit his ball in the rough and noticed something behind it.
“I was kind of putting my club down and sort of that fluffy sort of—fluffy grass almost, and I'm taking practice swings and I'm trying to get to my ball and I can't even . . . what's going on, something is behind my ball.
“I went down and saw a pile, so I called an official. It was just ants. It was a pile of ants, an ant pile, or whatever you want to call it, and their home; so I didn't want to mess with it. Couldn't take relief. It's a loose impediment.’’
Schauffele sought the advise of two rules officials who said he could not be given a drop in that situation but could remove the ants from behind the ball.
“I didn't do anything to be honest,’’ Schauffele said. “I ended up hacking out 50 yards on the fairway.’’
That led to his second bogey of the day but he rebounded with a birdie at the next hole and parred his way in.
“When you're in good form, all of us know that it's all about just making the correct decision and executing the shot and rinse and repeating that process,’’ Schauffele said. “So don't let too much try and bother you, and if you do hit a bad shots, it's easier to accept it because you know you're playing really good golf and you can make it up somewhere else. In that sort of zone, I guess.’’
For Fleetwood, an Olympic victory could be considered the best of his career. He has yet to win on the PGA Tour and has come close in a few major championships. He's currently ranked 14th in the world and won in January at the Dubai Invitational. But he has just two top-10s since, one of them a tie for third at the Masters.
“I actually haven't been in contention for a while,’’ Fleetwood said. “I kind of enjoy that on its own, as well as it being the Olympics.
“Like I say, it brings with it its own mental challenges. You're playing for a medal. You look at the atmosphere this week, we constantly get asked the question, where does the Olympics sit in golf. When you look at how it's going this week, it continues and continues to grow, and what people feel about it. It brings its own nerves and excitement and it's very, very special. So it's its own unique feeling and it's amazing.’’
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Schauffele, Fleetwood and Matsuyama Share Lead As Impassioned Fans Add Energy to Olympic Golf.
