Xander Schauffele held on to win the fourth-ever men’s Olympic event with a final-round 4-under 67. It was Schauffele’s first win anywhere in the world since the 2019 Tournament of Champions on Maui.

“Just in shock,” Schauffele, 27, said afterward. “I was trying so hard to just stay calm. Hit a terrible drive on 18, had to make a sort of sloppy par, and fortunately hit it close enough to sort of have a high percentage putt at roughly four, five feet. But, man, it was stressful. And I made that putt, and it was just a huge weight lifted off my shoulders and just very relieved and happy, of course.”

Schauffele’s win was in peril with Rory Sabbatini, who set an Olympic record with a 61, with two bogeys on his card, that nearly was good enough for a sudden-death playoff for the gold. Schauffele held the lead but on the 14th hole with a two-shot lead, he drove the ball into a thicket of trees. He took an unplayable lie, thinned his third shot when he clipped a tree branch but escaped with a bogey after a clutch putt.

The putt for par and a 4-under 67 was stressful for the golfer. All he had to was score from four feet away to win gold for the U.S.

“I just reminded myself, this is just a 4-footer,” he said Sunday. “All you have to do is make it. No big deal.”

Schauffele took gold, Sabbatini, who represented Slovakia happily took silver, and C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei won bronze.

Hideki Matsuyama made history on Sunday after winning his first major title. Matsuyama became the first Japanese man to win a major and the first Asian-born to win the Masters.

Matsuyama, 29, finished with a 1-over 73 for a 1-shot victory to clinch the prestigious Master’s championship. The Japanese golfer bested a close challenge in both Xander Schauffele and rookie Will Zalatoris.

Matsuyama built a six-shot lead near the end of the tournament before Schauffele made a late run. On a four-shot lead, Matsuyama went for the green in two on the par-5 15th, and the ball bounced off the back slope and into the pond on the 16th hole. The golfer was able to walk away with a bogey.

Schauffele managed to get four straight birdies to trim Matsuyama’s lead to just two with three to play. Unfortunately, Schauffele’s next shot ended his chance to trim the lead and pass Matsuyama. Shauffele’s next tee shot on the par-3 16th bounced off the hill and dribbled into the pond. The third shot ended up in the gallery, and Shauffele ended with a triple bogey. Schauffele ended up tied for third place.

Rookie Zalatoris was the closest to the Japanese golfer. The 24-year-old managed to finish with a 70 after he holed an 18-foot par putt on the last hole. Zalatoris ended second place in the tournament.

“I’m really happy,” Matsuyama said before Dustin Johnson helped him put on the green jacket. “Hopefully, I’ll be a pioneer, and many other Japanese will follow.”

PGA legend golfer Tiger Woods congratulated the Japanese golfer for his victory. “Making Japan proud Hideki,” Woods wrote. “Congratulations on such a huge accomplishment for you and your country.”

After having its season canceled following the first round of The Players Championship back in March, the PGA Tour returned with the Charles Schwab Challenge. Daniel Berger came out victorious, going 15-under par, winning in a playoff against Collin Morikawa. 

Berger’s win was the third of his career, earning him 500 FedEx cup points, and $1.35 million. Certainly not the largest payout in golf history but given how long of a hiatus golf has been on, shows the current state of the PGA Tour and the upward trajectory the sport is in.

On the course, the play was electric. Entering Sunday’s final round, there were numerous big names in the game in contention. Morikawa had the solo lead during one point in the back nine and when he came to the final hole, had a birdie putt to take the outright lead entering the clubhouse, but missed it just short. That was a common thread as Justin Rose, Jason Kokrak and Bryson DeChambeau all had birdie putts on the last hole to tie the leaders at 15-under par but missed. Berger made a birdie on the last hole to get to 15-under to tie Morikawa and Xander Schuaffele at the time, which ultimately earned his spot in the playoff. 

Schauffele did not participate in the playoff and finished in a tie for second at 14-under par. The solo leader following the third round, was at 15-under par entering the 17th hole, but a lip out putt for par from inside three-feet ended his chances of pulling out the victory. 

The PGA Tour will continue its season next week with the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head South Carolina.