. Nine players are separated by just four strokes, a tiny difference that fills the final round with spectacle and uncertainty.

. David Puig starts from 23rd place with 18 holes to go.

Two players tied, one separated by 1 stroke, two more by 3 and four more by 4. Nine options in total from a group of players with ample chances of winning the gold medal headed by the Spaniard Jon Rahm and the American Xander Scheffele.

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The final round of the men's golf tournament is steeped in spectacle and uncertainty in the most unpredictable outcome in the history of Olympic golf, a set of emotions that pits, in the last match, the one who aspires to win the gold medal that the second already has against the one who, in the case of Jon Rahm, opts to continue writing in his own hand the history of Spanish, European and world golf.

The so-called "moving day" was strictly adhered to in Paris, where the process of natural selection that characterizes the development of a golf tournament was evident in all its starkness.

There was immense satisfaction for those who managed to maintain or climb the leaderboard, especially Rahm, Schauffele, Fleetwood, and Matsuyama, who were fully engaged in the main battle. Their joy, amidst the rollercoaster ride the round became from the very beginning, with constant lead changes on every hole, contrasted sharply with the disappointment and anxiety of those who inexorably fell behind, resigned to having to pull off a future feat to earn a medal.

“It’s going to be very difficult,” declared Jon Rahm with his characteristic candor after a fierce battle to secure a well-deserved lead. The Spanish player, who had a strong debut and improved in the second round, consolidated his upward trajectory, displaying maximum confidence.

With the exception of a bogey on the 8th hole - damn it, it's the only point on the course where he hasn't even made par so far - and another mistake on the 15th, all of Jon Rahm's actions were characterized by maximum efficiency, saving the few compromised situations that his game generated and taking wonderful advantage of the innate quality that leads him to be considered one of the greats of golf in the world.

“You have to make birdies, one or two under in the last round is not enough,” predicted Jon Rahm after completing a very solid round where the spectacle emanated naturally from the talent he carries within.

It happened in the first part of the round, when he began to carve out his 5-par round by taking strokes off the course on holes 3, 4, 7 and 9, a prelude to the most brilliant and incredible part of his game, a long putt for birdie on the 13th before repeating the feat in what was going to be an eagle on the 14th and, the final flourish, a putt of more than 10 meters on the 17th that puts Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele in the eye from the first moment in a final round that promises the strongest sensations.

It's no wonder that the festival of birdies needed to win the gold medal is joined by many other contenders, all highly respectable, none to be underestimated. Who can stop someone who, like the Dane Nicolai Hojgaard, pulls off a 9-under-par round on the third day?

Speculation aside, Jon Rahm's face displays an undisguised smile when it's suggested he's a contender for the Olympic gold medal. "There are many rivals," he replies, but he can't help but let his eyes light up, the unique effect of someone who has the potential to write part of golf history, in this case by aspiring to the gold medal in the most unpredictable final round in Olympic history.

David Puig, under par again

Overshadowed by Jon Rahm's captivating magnetism, David Puig also gave reasons to steal the spotlight. As the Barcelona native stated in the previous round, it was about taking risks, forcing situations to mount a comeback. This courageous approach yielded very positive results in the front nine, where a spectacular eagle on the 3rd hole and a birdie on the 6th placed Puig within striking distance of the Top 10.

However, his bold comeback required more successes that did not come, an orthodox approach to the course, tied to the par of each hole, which did not detract but proved ineffective when it comes to continuing to climb positions in a tournament where the competitors, fighting tooth and nail, are mostly part of a birdie festival.

A bogey on the 13th and another on the 17th brought David Puig's hopes to a screeching halt. He managed to break par again, but still fell short of his own expectations. "All I can do now is attack and take risks in the final round; I know exactly what I'll do," the Barcelona native declared confidently.