Spain's Jon Rahm lets Olympic gold slip through his fingers

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm had a day to forget, going from strong contender for Olympic gold to finishing empty-handed at Le Golf National near Paris on Sunday.

Starting the day tied for the lead with American Xander Schauffele, Rahm enjoyed a nearly flawless front nine, with five birdies placing him four strokes ahead of his nearest rivals.

Rahm's performance had captivated the early-morning crowd, who cheered him on with enthusiastic cries of "Aúpa Jon, aúpa Athletic!"

At the turn, Rahm was sitting at -20, a score he believed necessary for victory, holding a significant advantage over his competitors. However, disaster struck on the back nine.

Bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes, coupled with a double bogey on the 14th, eroded Rahm's lead. A valiant birdie on the 16th wasn't enough to recover, and further bogeys on the final two holes relegated him to fifth place with a total score of -15.

In Rahm's absence, Scottie Scheffler clinched gold with a stellar round featuring nine birdies, finishing at -19. Tommy Fleetwood took silver at -18, and Hideki Matsuyama secured bronze at -17.

Rahm's collapse marks a missed opportunity for the Spaniard, who had been seeking to cap off his recent resurgence with an Olympic triumph.