Scottie Scheffler claimed gold for USA at Le Golf National after a thrilling final round of 62 saw him climb through the field and rise above the likes of Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele
The silver medal was won by Great Britain with Tommy Fleetwood who just fell short of Scheffler after a bogey on the 17th hole.
Bronze went the way of Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama after a consistent week of golf.
French golfers had mixed fortunes, with Mathieu Pavon finishing last of all competitors as fellow countryman Victor Perez shined on Sunday striking a low 63 to narrowly miss out on bronze place by one shot.
It was a race for the medals with plenty of elite golfers in contention. Birdies were always an opportunity meaning an aggressive approach resulted in progression up the leaderboard on this final day.
The round proved plenty of twists and turns and was close until the 72nd hole.
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Story of the Round
Of the earlier starters, it was the out-of-sorts Wyndham Clark who made a charge with five birdies in the opening seven holes, but momentum halted restricting a medal chance.
As the later starters and likely challengers began their rounds, it was evident who would challenge the medal places and which golfers were out of sorts.
World number one Scottie Scheffler was amongst those who climbed the leaderboard after posting three birdies in the first three.
South Korea's Tom Kim was not just fighting for medal places but military exemption on Sunday, putting more pressure on his game, yet he also posted a 32 (-4) on the front nine.
Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy was frustrated after plenty of missed greens which halted genuine progress early on.
At the front, the narrative was certainly Xander Schauffele versus Jon Rahm for gold before the round.
Schauffele won both The Open and PGA Championship in 2024 and has been labelled as the current best golfer on the planet with his red-hot form.
Rahm, in contrast, has had a poor year since joining LIV Golf, winning only one tournament and failing to impress in the major tournaments.
Yet it was Schauffele who was unable to get going this Sunday and struggled to make birdies in comparison to his rival. The previous Olympic champion posted a 35 (-1) on the front nine which saw him left behind by Rahm.
The Spaniard had been dominating the stats this week with the top greens in regulation of any golfer striking 87.3% of greens, representing that he was dialled into the course.
A five-under front nine saw Rahm storm into a three-shot lead and four over Xander Schauffele heading into the final nine holes.
Hideki Matsuyama had also performed well on the front nine with five-under and shared second place with Great Britain's Tommy Fleetwood.
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Rahm collapses on the back nine
That four-shot lead evaporated for Rahm in just two holes after consecutive bogeys while Fleetwood made two consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th holes.
Rory McIlroy shot himself into medal contention after four consecutive birdies to start on the second nine and was just two shots off the lead with Scottie Scheffler but found the water on the 15 which bruised his chances.
Frenchman Victor Perez riled up a patriotic crowd with four birdies and an eagle between holes 12 and 16 which created a chance for a home celebration, and posted a clubhouse lead at -16 heading into the final stages.
The drama continued for Jon Rahm on the par five 14th saw him double bogey and drop to two shots off the lead after a four-shot advantage at the beginning of the front nine.
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Scheffler vs Fleetwood
Three consecutive birdies for USA top seed Scottie Scheffler between the 14th and 16th saw him rise to a joint lead with Tommy Fleetwood and rise as favourite for gold.
Scottie Scheffler was the star of the final stages and a birdie on 17th saw him take the lead on -19 with limited holes remaining for the rest.
Fleetwood replied in kind with a birdie on the 16th as Scheffler finished his round 62, (-9), with the pair tied and facing a head-to-head for Gold unless the Brit gained or dropped or shot in his final two holes.
A bogey on the 17th for the Southport-born golfer meant a birdie was needed on the last to force a play-off.
A poor approach shot on the last saw a long-range chip needing to hole out which was narrowly missed by a few feet to give Scheffler gold in the men's individual stroke play victory.
After the remarkable final round, it was undisputedly deserved gold Scheffler who won the Masters at the beginning of 2024 and has been remarkably dominant this year on the PGA Tour.
Le Golf National delivered an enthralling tournament with plenty of twists and turns in the final round, fully exemplifying the inclusion in the Olympic Games.
