Brandel Chamblee didn’t mince his words when he slammed Jon Rahm’s final-round flop at the Olympics,
calling it “one of the biggest chokes of the year” and comparing it to Rory McIlroy’s US Open disaster.
Rahm seemed poised for victory with a four-shot lead after a stellar front-nine 31,
but his performance crumbled on the back nine, allowing world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler to mount an incredible comeback and snatch the gold.
Scheffler, six shots behind, went on a birdie rampage, sinking four in the last five holes to record a spotless final round 62,
edging out Team GB’s Tommy Fleetwood by one stroke and leaving Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama two shots behind in third place.
Despite Rahm’s commendable 15-under total at Le Golf National, he ended up four strokes behind Scheffler’s winning score. NBC Sports analyst Chamblee was blunt in his assessment of Rahm’s shocking collapse.
“That was just about the wildest back nine that you could ever imagine, ever predict,” Chamblee remarked. He underscored the stark contrast between Rahm’s 39 and Scheffler’s 29 on their respective back nines, cementing the outcome as a dramatic turn of events.
Chamblee wrapped up his critique with a stinging comparison: “I’m gonna put that down as one of the biggest collapses, chokes of the year. Right up there with Rory McIlroy coming down the stretch at the U.S. Open.”
Golf pundit Chamblee didn’t hold back when comparing Rahm’s recent game to McIlroy’s infamous stumble last June, which saw Bryson DeChambeau snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Rahm’s once commanding lead slipped away after a series of blunders from the 11th to the 14th holes, his only moment of relief being a birdie on the 16th.
Yet, as others racked up consecutive birdies, Rahm was thrown off his stride. Chamblee observed: “Jon Rahm looked so solid the first three-and-a-half rounds, leading the field in fairways hit, leading the field in driving distance, leading the field in greens in regulation.
“But the demon that has plagued him over the last about year is that double cross. And we saw it a little bit at the 8th, but it visited him notably on the back nine in several key instances. And then of course, you have the odd three-putt here or there. So, losing a four-shot lead, not even medaling, by the way, with a four-shot lead.”
Despite the setback, Rahm stayed positive, expressing his feelings about the tournament: “For about 97 percent of the week has been fantastic. The crowd has been great. The week has been great. The golf course is fantastic and it’s just a, there’s basically a four-hole stretch where I wasn’t happy. Besides that, it’s been a really good tournament. There’s still a lot to be proud of, but this is something that’s gonna sting for a while.”
If Rahm qualifies for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the LIV Golf star will pursue a medal at Riviera – the course where he won the 2023 Genesis Invitational before making his switch to LIV Golf.
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Source: USA Today
