In his first participation in an Olympics, the Colombian golfer Juan Sebastián Muñoz, 28, had a brilliant performance when he reached the final of the competition of that sport and included in the tiebreaker group in which the bronze medal was disputed.
In this competition, it was the Taiwanese CT Pan who remained in third place to complete the podium in which the American Xander Schauffele, gold medalist, and the Slovakian Rory Sabbatini, silver, were already installed.
The first to be eliminated in this unusual four-hole playoff, which lasted for almost an hour and a half, They were the British Paul Casey and the Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, sports idol of the host country.
Casey and Matsuyama, winner of the last Augusta Masters, were above par (4) on the 18th hole.
The five survivors moved to 10, in which they tied even (3), while in 11 Muñoz, Pereira and McIlroy got off after missing close putts.
Pereira’s ball He got to partially enter the hole but ended up coming out to the amazement of the golfer from Santiago.
Back at the 18th hole, bronze was decided in a heads-up between Pan and American Collin Moriwaka, winner of the recent British Open.
The Colombian, reported in the newspaper El Tiempo, before that phase for the bronze medal landed a 67-stroke round for which he accumulated 269 (-15) and intelligently handled the pressure for the red cards that he got at some points in the game with one less in the first nine, including a bogey on the 9th hole.
In the television news program Noticias Caracol, the man from Bogotá highlighted his effort in this Olympic debut.
“I felt very good, I gave it my all. I feel that I had a very good start, in the middle I kind of fell asleep a little and when I had a few holes left I concentrated again. That allowed me to reach the ‘playoff’ and there anything could happen, especially between seven very good golfers. I am happy that I was able to represent Colombia the way I did and also because my game is in a very good moment. Now we wait for the next opportunity “, he claimed.
In the same newscast, the golfer reiterated that although it was his first performance in an Olympics, he felt satisfied to have reached that stage.
“I hadn’t thought of it that way, it’s my debut and I fought for a medal. It is a spectacular experience and it is among the best moments of my life ”, added.
In Caracol News they recalled that the Bogota coHe featured alongside current golf stars Xander Schauffele and Rory Mcllroy, who are among the big names on the PGA tour.
Muñoz also extended his gratitude to the Colombian delegation and especially to his caddy to whom he attributed part of his victory.
“It is a job that I have been doing with my ‘caddy’ Mateo, every time we do a better job since we have been here and we are showing it. Excited for the future “added.
Finally, for the golfer, he did not stop reminding the world and the country of the importance of participating in the highest sporting events on the planet.
“I never thought I was going to be at an Olympic Games, but on the bus, on a trip back to the Olympic Village, my skin crawled thinking about where I was and what I was doing, especially because of the meaning it has. Life has shown me a way, I like golf and we are going to keep putting our chest in it ”, he concluded.
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