Brandel Chamblee has delivered a brutal verdict on Jon Rahm’s failure to win Olympic gold on Sunday, accusing the Spaniard of “choking” in Paris.
The controversial analyst claimed Rahm was guilty of one of the biggest meltdowns of 2024, comparing his final round to Rory McIlroy’s late horror show at the US Open.
Rahm, the overnight co-leader, held a four-shot lead after going 5 under par on the front nine on Sunday.
But the LIV maverick then made four bogeys and a double bogey down the stretch of his fourth round to finish four strokes behind Scottie Scheffler.
The world number one was six shots off the lead going into the final round but made half a dozen birdies, including four in the last five holes, to secure gold for the United States.
Jon Rahm failed to win Olympic gold on Sunday after suffering a late collapse in Paris
Brandel Chamblee issued a brutal verdict on the performance of the Spanish golfer
Scheffler finished a stroke ahead of Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood and afterwards Chamblee said: ‘Scottie Scheffler was six back coming into the turn and he wins gold, without a play-off.
‘He shoots 29, Jon Rahm shoots 39. I’m going to put that as one of the biggest collapses (and) chokes of the year, probably up there with Rory McIlroy down the stretch at the US Open.’
In June, McIlroy looked set to end his decade-long wait for a fifth major but missed two short putts on the final three holes.
Rahm hit four bogeys and a double bogey in the final stretch of Sunday’s fourth round
His errors allowed Bryson DeChambeau to triumph at Pinehurst and on Sunday, McIlroy finished tied for fifth with Rahm, four shots behind Scheffler.
“I feel like I’ve been the ‘almost man’ of golf for the last three years,” McIlroy admitted.
Obviously, I want to change things and go from being the “almost man” to winning golf tournaments. It’s nice to say that I’m close, close, close.
“Once I actually cross the threshold and turn these mistakes and edge situations into wins, that’s what I have to do.”