2024 Olympics golf leaderboard: Jon Rahm joins Xander Schauffele on top in pursuit of gold medal in Paris

Schauffele is seeking to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals as the tournament wraps Sunday

After three days of golf at the 2024 Paris Olympics, all three medals are still up for grabs. The United States' Xander Schauffele -- the reigning, defending gold medalist from the 2020 Tokyo Games -- and Spain's Jon Rahm take a share of the lead into the final round at Le Golf National, while Great Britain's Tommy Fleetwood would occupy the final spot on the podium if competition entered Saturday sitting one shot back of the co-leaders.

Schauffele on Sunday will aim to become the first man in the history of Olympic golf competition to successfully defend his medal, while Rahm hopes to become the first Spanish golfer to win gold at the Summer Games. Fleetwood could join Justin Rose (2016) as the second Brit to win gold. It will not come easy for any of them, though, as there are several stars just off the podium who know one more round of quality golf could turn a fruitless week into a memorable one.

Here's the top of the leaderboard following Round 3:

T1. Xander Schauffele (United States): -14
T1. Jon Rahm (Spain): -14
3. Tommy Fleetwood (Great Britain): -13
T4. Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark): -11
T4. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan): -11
T6. Rory McIlroy (Ireland): -10
T6. Scottie Scheffler (United States): -10
T6. Tom Kim (Korea): -10
T6. Thomas Detry (Belgium): -10

While the history of golf in the Olympics is not extensive, if the last playing in 2021 taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected on Sunday. A closing 61 in Tokyo saw South Africa's Rory Sabbatini slide in and steal the silver, eluding a seven-man playoff for bronze. While the names of Schauffele, Rahm and Fleetwood hold weight, late-competition pressure combined with ideal scoring conditions could lead others like Scheffler and McIlroy to the podium.

Déjà vu?

As mentioned, the 2020 Olympics featured a seven-man playoff for bronze with Taiwan's C.T. Pan ultimately coming away with the final spot on the podium. Three years later and a similar situation -- with some of the same names -- could transpire at Le Golf National as a congested leaderboard has produced 11 players within four strokes of the bronze position as 18 holes remain. 

"It would have been nice to be able to squeeze a couple more shots out of the back nine," McIlroy said. "But I think tomorrow, depending on what the leaders do, I'm going to have to probably shoot my lowest round of the week to have a chance at a medal. That's the goal."

Double medal opportunity

Though each player is a member of a team, they are more or less competing as individuals. Still, there are some nations who are in position to grab not only one but possibly two medals. The United States has Schauffele and Scheffler, who account for half the American team, both inside the top 10, while Denmark made a big move on Saturday. Hojgaard tied the course record at Le Golf National with his 9-under 62 as Thorbjorn Olesen tried his damnedest to keep pace with his countryman, climbing inside the top 15.

"Every time you get up there and you're in the week, it doesn't matter which tournament it is. You can always feel the nerves, but that's what we practice and play for," Hojgaard said. "So, it was pretty cool to see and good to convince myself again that I can do it down the stretch in the third round. But now, it's a completely different thing tomorrow. We are going to go out, there's medal the on the line. Going to go out and try to do the same thing and stay patient. It's always slightly tough on a Sunday. We are in a perfect position after today's round."

France's best chance

In Tokyo, Matsuyama was in the final group in the final round only to fall off the pace and eject himself early from the bronze-medal playoff. Victor Perez (-8) is the top player capable of fling the home nation's flag this week as he has given himself a chance -- albeit a slim one -- to add to France's medal count. After a nervy start Thursday that saw him drop to 3 over for the tournament, Perez has battled back significantly. He played the back nine as well as anyone with 14 birdies and just one bogey on that side of the golf course.

Matt Fitzpatrick withdraws

While one of Great Britain's flags flies near the top of the leaderboard, the other has been taken off it. Fitzpatrick withdrew from the competition after the completion of his third round due to a thumb injury. The former U.S. Open champion dropped 40 spots on the leaderboard on Saturday as he carded an 81 while dealing with the injury after opening with rounds of 73-64. 

2024 Olympics updated odds, picks

• Jon Rahm: 7/5
• Xander Schauffele: 7/4
• Tommy Fleetwood: 8-1
• Scottie Scheffler: 14-1
• Rory McIlroy: 20-1
• Hideki Matsuyama: 25-1

Rahm has been stellar this week from tee to green, but it is hard not to look at the other two-time major champion as the one who ultimately gets the job done. Schauffele will be comfortable with the gold medal nerves and has turned into a strong closer this season. He hasn't had the entirety of his game cooperate for a full round, but yet he sleeps on a share of the lead.

If looking for a larger price, then Scheffler and McIlroy are the likely options from four back. McIlroy has done plenty of scoring this week and turned in a bogey-free effort on Saturday while Scheffler has yet to gain strokes on the greens.

Rick Gehman and Patrick McDonald recap the third round of the 2024 Olympic Men's Golf Competition at Le Golf National. Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 11:01 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Rahm regains share of lead

A birdie from distance on No. 17 means Jon Rahm's name is back atop the leaderboard. He gets back to 14 under alongside Xander Schauffele who could be in some trouble on No. 17 having just hit his tee shot into the high stuff. A par on the last could be enough for Rahm to sleep on at least a share of the lead tonight.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 10:49 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Hideki hanging tough

After dropping as low as 9 under after a sluggish start, the man from Japan has asserted himself on this back nine. Matsuyama makes birdie on the difficult par-4 15th to get into red figures on the day and 12 under for the competition. He's now only one off the final podium spot and will look for a much better finish to his round compared to yesterday when he made double bogey on No. 18.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 10:32 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Xander grabs solo lead with eagle

There's early walks and then there's whatever Xander Schuaffele just did on the par-5 14th. Converting his eagle opportunity, the two-time major champion has climbed to 14 under and into the solo lead. Jon Rahm needed three putts on the par-4 15th to drop out of the lead and sits in a share of second place with Tommy Fleetwood.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 10:13 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Rahm running downhill

That is now back-to-back birdies for our leader, Jon Rahm, who has opened up a two-stroke lead at 14 under. It could have been even wider as the Spaniard read a little too much into his eagle putt from 10 feet on the par-5 14th. Still, he leads by two and is continuing to hit the cover off the golf ball.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 9:52 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Ludvig lugging along

The young Swede has made his imprint on this tournament over the last hour and played himself into medal contention. Four birdies across a five-hole stretch in the middle of his back nine has Ludvig Åberg at 10 under and only two off the lead after Tommy Fleetwood's bogey on No. 12.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 9:24 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Hojgaard ties course record; in position to medal

The young Dane nearly makes birdie on the last, but he will instead settle for a 9-under 62 — matching the course record at Le Golf National. Hojgaard hit 13 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation and has risen to 11 under and only two behind Tommy Fleetwood who has taken the outright lead with a birdie on No. 10.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 9:07 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Here comes Hojgaard

The Danes are having a day. Nicolai Hojgaard adds another birdie on No. 17 and reaches 9 under for his round and 11 under for the tournament — only one behind Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm. He's 4 under in his last four holes and will look to get past the difficult closing hole to post the round of the week.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 8:45 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Jason Day jumps onto the podium

That is now six birdies for Jason Day through his first 12 holes. He connects from long range on the par-4 12th to reach 11 under and alongside players like Jon Rahm who just 3-putted the par-3 8th to drop out of the lead. This leaderboard is very congested at the moment — giving shades of the 2020 Summer Games.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 8:23 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Rahm regains share of the lead

What a beautiful approach into the seventh green from the Spaniard. Accessing a tucked pin on the right side of the green by utilizing his patented high left to right shot shape, the former world No. 1 gets to 3 under on the day and 12 under on the week alongside Tommy Fleetwood atop the leaderboard. 

[Aug 3, 2024 at 7:50 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Hideki heading in the wrong direction

Dating back to yesterday — and just five holes ago — Hideki Matsuyama was standing at 13 under. After a double bogey to finish his second round and a couple bogeys through his first four holes on Saturday, the man from Japan is now 9 under and out of medal position. It has been very sloppy in the ball striking department — struggling to find fairways and hitting that poor iron shot off the tee on No. 2.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 7:31 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Benny An is going bananas

The South Korean is now 8 (!!!) under through his first 11 holes and in position to grab a medal. He's only one behind Tommy Fleetwood and a new co-leader, Jon Rahm, at 11 under who is fresh off back-to-back birdies. The final threesome is a combined 2 over through 3 holes.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 7:12 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Fleetwood alone on top

Well, that was a weird second hole. Hideki Matsuyama finds the water off the tee and does very well to make bogey from the drop zone. Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele hits his bunker shot to 2 feet and misses his par putt meaning Tommy Fleetwood is in the gold medal position early in the third round at 11 under. Silver and bronze medals are currently at 10 under where a large number of players are close to.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 6:44 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Leaders step onto the golf course

Tommy Fleetwood, Hideki Matsuyama and Xander Schauffele all find the fairway on No. 1 and they are officially off. I'm interested in Schauffele's ball striking today as he ranks in the middle of the pack in terms of greens in regulation and strokes gained off the tee. Since his win at the PGA, he has been incredible at navigating golf courses without his entire game cooperating, but once it does all click…watch out.

[Aug 3, 2024 at 6:14 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

Two nations with both players in position

Beginning the day, only the United States had two players inside the top 10 (Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler). With Byeong Hun An's start, Korea can now claim the same. An is 4 under in his first six holes and has climbed into a share of 10th place at 6 under. He joins his teammate Tom Kim who is T5 at 8 under.