KAWAGOE, Japan – Xander Schauffele was born for this.

His grandfather, Richard, was the 1935 German track and field champion before being sidelined by a shoulder injury two weeks before the ’36 Olympics. His father, Stefan, was poised to qualify for the Olympics as a decathlete when he lost sight in his left eye after being struck by a drunk driver in 1986.

All of the work and the training and the effort that Xander Schauffele put into his craft was for this moment and yet he almost didn’t make the trip to Japan.

Like many players, Schauffele was reluctant to commit to playing the Olympic golf competition for a variety of reasons, including intense COVID-19 restrictions and awkward scheduling during a crucial point in the PGA Tour season. There were also logistics issues.

“I had to fight hard to get our hotel near here,” Stefan Schauffele said. “Honestly, if he had to stay in the village we were seriously contemplating not coming. They changed the alert level because of COVID-19 and the streets are empty, but if that wouldn’t have occurred you’d be sitting 2 ½ hours in a car one way and that’s just not how you can compete.”

There were also travel concerns for returning to the United States in a timely enough fashion to play next week’s WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, but when the PGA Tour arranged for a charter flight from Japan to Memphis, it all made sense.

“Louis [Oosthuizen] talked to me at the U.S. Open and asked me about Japan and I told him I was trying to get a closer hotel and we’re trying to get a flight back and he just said, ‘I’m giving up.' He withdrew,” Stefan Schauffele said. “I saw him in England at The Open and he said, ‘If I would have known there was a charter, I would have played.’”

Xander Schauffele’s decision to play, and all that effort, paid off with a gold medal-winning performance on Sunday at Kasumigaseki Country Club. After starting the day with a one-stroke lead, Schauffele extended his advantage to two shots with birdies at Nos. 1 and 2 and added another at No. 5 for a three-stroke advantage, before things intensified on the closing nine.

With Rory Sabbatini closing the gap with a tournament-record 61, Schauffele stumbled with a sloppy bogey at the par-5 14th after driving into the trees and taking a penalty drop to fall into a tie at 17 under.

He pulled ahead with a birdie at the penultimate hole, but was forced to lay up after a poor drive at the last that required some last-minute magic.

“I was trying so hard to just stay calm. Hit a terrible drive on 18, had to make a sort of sloppy par and fortunately hit it close enough to sort of have a high percentage putt at roughly 4, 5 feet. But, man, it was stressful,” he said. “I made that putt and it was just a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”

It was a storybook ending for Schauffele, who had spent a lifetime hearing his father talk about the Olympics. Earlier in the week, he said he didn’t know how he would react coming down the stretch because Olympic golf is all so new. But following his closing 67 for a one-stroke victory, he acknowledged it was much better than he expected.

“It's special. That's a word that's thrown around a lot, especially for us golfers,” Schauffele said. “I mean it's so different for us, we're used to playing for money and we play a normal schedule and this is every four years and it's just kind of a different feel to it.

“You're wearing your country's colors and everyone's just trying to represent to the best of their ability. It does have that sort of special and different feel.”

It was equally special for Stefan Schauffele, who said he’d remained largely indifferent to the outcome for most of the week but was bracing for an emotional podium ceremony and the national anthem.

“Nobody is going to play the anthem for you when you win the Masters; that level of pride just doesn’t exist in a major and lots of thoughts come back,” Stefan Schauffele said. “I’m choking up now just thinking about it. It’s just about honor.”

And it almost didn’t happen.

C.T. Pan beat just two players in the opening round of the Olympic men’s golf competition.

Three days later, he only ended up losing to two.

Pan locked up Chinese Taipei’s fourth bronze and eighth overall medal of the Tokyo Games by prevailing as the last man standing in a seven-man playoff Sunday at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Pan’s up-and-down par on the fourth extra hole, the par-4 18^th, was good enough to eliminate American Collin Morikawa, who missed his par save after his approach badly plugged in the face of the front greenside bunker.

"Very satisfying," said Pan, who opened his week in 3-over 74. "It can came as a surprise to me, too. After Day 1 ... I remember I texted one of my good friends and I was like, The struggle is real. So, it's quite a turnaround for this week winning the bronze medal that I couldn't even think about it, didn't even think about it after Thursday's round. So, overall that was a very happy ending."

Pan, who with his wife, Michelle, on the bag closed with an 8-under 63, was one of seven players who finished at 15 under, three shots back of gold medalist Xander Schauffele of the U.S. and silver winner Rory Sabbatini of Slovakia.

"Four's the largest [playoff] I've been in," said Rory McIlroy, who was representing Ireland. "So yeah, it was a bit interesting having to split us up there and having to ask the rules official going down the a fairway on 18, Who did what ahead? What do I need to do here? So, a little different, but just add it to another experience that I've had this week for the first time."

In the first playoff trip down No. 18, all four players in the first group – Pan, Morikawa, Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz and Chile’s Mito Pereira – made par. McIlroy also made par in the second group while Great Britain’s Paul Casey and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama were eliminated with bogey.

After matching pars by the five advancers at the second extra hole, the par-3 10^th, the third playoff hole, the par-4 11^th, became the site of some clutch wedge shots. Morikawa’s was the best, his ball landing inches behind the hole, but Pereira, McIlroy and Pan all gave themselves great birdie looks.

Munoz went over the back of the green and was eliminated with bogey while Pereira horseshoed out his 10-foot birdie try to also end his medal hopes.

“I can't believe that lip-out just happened,” Pereira said. “It's crazy. I hit a really good shot and it was a perfect putt, and I don't know what happened.”

McIlroy was the next to putt, and he caught the right lip, also missing.

"It's disappointing going away from here without any hardware," McIlroy said. "I've been saying all day I never tried so hard in my life to finish third. But it's been a great experience, today was great day to be up there in contention for a medal, certainly had a different feeling to it than I expected, and yeah, as I said, I'm already looking forward to three years time and trying to go at least one better but hopefully three better."

Pan and Morikawa converted short tries to head back to the finishing hole.

“Normally with five guys with wedges in their hands, two are going to make birdie,” Morikawa said of Pan negating Morikawa’s near-eagle dunk. “It happens.”

Neither hit the green in regulation, but Pan, in the left rough just shy of the green, had a much better lie. Morikawa, from a wicked spot, somehow got his third shot on the green and left himself 30 feet for par, but he couldn’t save par.

Pan was left with a 7-footer to win the bronze, and he didn’t miss.

"I've never been in a playoff with that many people, seven people for one spot, which is pretty crazy," Pan said. "And if you look at the field in the playoff, we got Rory McIlroy, Collin, we got I don't know two, three top-10 guys in the world. And we got me, 200 ranked, shooting [plus-3] on Day 1, didn't know what to do on Thursday. But anyway, I mean I just told myself, just keep my head down, hit one shot at a time and then I just reminded myself just to keep joking with my wife.

"She's great, she's a great caddie, but she definitely keeps the mood very light for me and it helps me to focus more. So, I want to thank her for that."

KAWAGOE, Japan – Following 21 holes in sweltering heat, Rory McIlroy couldn’t hide his sunburn or his disappointment.

“I never tried so hard in my life to finish third,” he sighed.

McIlroy’s shot at an Olympic bronze medal evaporated on the third extra hole in a seven-person playoff that was won by C.T. Pan. The Northern Irishman had plenty of chance to secure a medal for Ireland, but instead he finished tied for fourth.

“I wasn't too far behind, and then the bogey on 15, just sort of after that, those last few holes, it was about trying to play for a medal,” said McIlroy, who closed with a 67. “I birdied 17 to get back to 15 under and I was like, ;OK, trying my hardest to birdie the last to get in there at 16 [under] and try to get the bronze.'”

Instead, he finished at 15 under and was knocked out of the playoff when he parred the third extra hole. Although he was disappointed not to win a medal, McIlroy said playing the Olympics was much different than he envisioned.

“I made some comments before that were probably uneducated and impulsive," he said, "but coming here experiencing it, seeing, feeling everything that goes on, not just Olympic golf but just the Olympics in general, that sort of Olympic spirit's definitely bitten me and I'm excited how this week's turned out and excited for the future.”

Euro 2020 and the Copa America are over and the summer transfer window is open, leaving Europe's biggest clubs clear to make a splash in the market. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.

TOP STORY: Liverpool, Man United track Saul

Representatives of Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez are set to fly to England to discuss a move to the Premier League next week, reports the Sunday Mirror.

The 26-year-old has been linked with a move away from Atletico all summer, initially to Barcelona, however it now seems Liverpool and Manchester United could battle for his signature.

The Spain midfielder is said to be available for between £35-£40 million, despite a £125m buyout clause in his contract. Saul has fallen out of favour under coach Diego Simeone over the last year. Having been an ever-present in previous seasons, he started just 22 league games as Atletico won the La Liga title and completed 90 minutes on just 11 occasions.

He was expected to move to Barca as part of a deal which would take Antoine Griezmann back to Atletico, but the two clubs have been unable to reach an agreement, with the difference in player valuations the main obstacle.

Reports suggest that United are in pole position to sign Saul, as they look to bolster their squad further following the arrival of Jadon Sancho and the nearly completed deal for Raphael Varane.

As for Liverpool, they are looking to fill the void left by Georginio Wijnaldum, who left on a free at the end of his contract last month. The midfielder was a key part of the Champions League and Premier League-winning side but the two parties couldn't agree a new deal, resulting in the Netherlands international leaving for Paris Saint-Germain.

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LIVE BLOG

15.07 BST: The future of Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez is set to be one of the stories of the last month of the transfer window. With two years left on his contract and Inter desperate to get a full transfer fee, he will almost certainly leave if an extension isn't signed before the end of the month.

Arsenal have already registered their interest, though the player is reported to prefer a move to Spain. The Athletic reports that the Gunners are ready to offer Hector Bellerin as a makeweight in any transfer. The Spain international is wanted by Inter, so it could tempt the Serie A champions into a deal. If Arsenal are given encouragement, they would first have to find a new club for Alexandre Lacazette to make the financials work.

But Tuttosport in Italy reports that Atletico Madrid have already tabled an offer of €35m, though that was never going to be enough for a player Inter value at €90m.

Where will Lautaro be playing his football when the transfer window closes? Right now, it's anyone's guess.

14.26 BST: Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri says Aaron Ramsey can still have a big role to play for the Italian club, while appearing to play down a move for Barcelona's Miralem Pjanic.

Former Arsenal midfielder Ramsey has been linked with a return to the Premier League this summer. However, he was handed a deep-lying role in Juve's 2-1 friendly win over Monza on Saturday and impressed.

Pjanic, meanwhile, is surplus to requirements at Barca and speculation has suggested Juve are keen on re-signing him.

"I don't know about that, transfer issues are being managed by the club," Allegri told Sport Mediaset when asked about a move for the Bosnian midfielder. "We spent four years together with great memories [but] he is a Barcelona player now and we have talented players. I think if Ramsey can be convinced to play in front of the defence, he can do really well there.

"He was good there tonight. He can already see passing channels, has a good sense of the geometry of the field and I told him he can run less in that position!"

If Juve pull out of the race for Pjanic, they could see him end up at Serie A title rivals Inter. La Gazzetta dello Sport claim Inter CEO Beppe Marotta has opened talks over a potential move.

13.42 BST: Marca reports that Real Madrid's financial situation is so dire that they are willing to transfer almost any member of their squad to balance the books. Only Thibaut Courtois, Karim Benzema, Fede Valverde, David Alaba and Vinicius Jr. are not available, if the right transfer fee were offered.

It could give hope to Arsenal that a deal for midfielder Martin Odegaard could be struck following his successful loan spell in the second half of last season.

The report states that the effect of the coronavirus pandemic across Europe means many clubs are only proposing loan deals, which isn't helpful to president Florentino Perez as he looks to bring in funds.

13.04 BST: Wolves and Spain striker Rafa Mir has been offered to Barcelona, according to Catalan newspaper Diario Sport. The report claims Mir's agent, Jorge Mendes, first offered him to Barca a few months ago but they initially turned down the chance to sign him. However, if they're successful in moving on Martin Braithwaite and Rey Manaj this week, they could turn their attention to Mir.

Barca are well stocked in attack but coach Ronald Koeman is keen to add a more traditional No. 9 to his forward line, even if it's just a backup option.

Mir, 24, only has a contract with Wolves until 2022 so the Premier League club would not be able to demand a big fee. Sport even suggest they could be interested in a part-exchange, without naming any players.

Wolves signed Mir in 2017 but he's made just four appearances for the club and has spent most of his time on loan back in Spain. He boosted his reputation with 16 goals for Huesca last season, who were relegated from La Liga, and starred on Saturday with a hat trick for Spain as they beat Ivory Coast 5-2 to make the semifinals of the Olympic Games.

12.22 BST: Conflicting reports right now about Tottenham's pursuit of Atalanta defender Cristian Romero. Spurs have been trying to agree a £43m deal with the Serie A side, which would take the 23-year-old Argentina international to north London.

Noted transfer journalist Gianluca Di Marzio says that talks between the two clubs ended on Saturday without any agreement, and they could be so far apart that a deal isn't possible.

However, TYC Sports in Argentina says the exact opposite. Its report states Atalanta have sealed five add-on clauses to boost the fee, and the player has agreed personal terms on a five-year contract. It adds that the deal will not be officially announced until Atalanta complete the signing of Merih Demiral from Juvetus to replace Romero.

¡EL CUTI, A LA PREMIER LEAGUE!

Atalanta aceptó los 50 millones de euros -más cinco en bonus- que puso sobre la mesa el Tottenham y Romero se convertirá en compañero de Gio Lo Celso. ¿Qué te parece? ⚽️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8OPfRp2Iqa

— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) July 31, 2021

11.42 BST: Reports in the Sunday Telegraph say that Harry Kane will insist on being allowed to join Manchester City when he holds showdown talks with Tottenham Hotspur bosses next week.

Kane, 28, has made it clear he wants a new challenge, and City are the frontrunners to sign the England captain. A player-plus-£100m deal has been reported, as City try to make the deal work financially.

The striker returns to Tottenham Hotspur on Monday after his post-Euro 2020 break.

11.00 BST: Sky Sport Italia reports that Sassuolo have given Juventus a deadline of mid-August to complete a deal for Euro 2020 star Manuel Locatelli, or he could stay at the club for the 2021-22 season.

Locatelli, 23, has already attracted firm interest from Arsenal, who offered around €40m, but the midfielder rejected the chance to move to the Premier League. Sassuolo are now adamant they have a clear market value for Locatelli, which Juve must match if they are to sign him.

The report says that Juve are trying to negotiate a two-year loan with an option to buy, as they struggle financially after the coronavirus pandemic

10.13 BST: AC Milan are on the verge of agreeing a deal which will take forward Jens Petter Hauge to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Hauge, 21, was not part of the Milan squad for Friday's friendly against Nice, and reports in his native Norway from vg.no say he is heading to the Bundesliga after less than 12 months at the San Siro.

The Norway international signed for Milan from Bodo/Glimt in October and played 24 games last season

09.30 BST: Santos president Andres Rueda has confirmed that Juventus are pushing hard to take Kaio Jorge to Turin for the start of the new season.

Jorge, a 19-year-old striker, has already agreed a pre-contract with Juve which kicks in as of Jan. 1. Rueda says no decision has been made to sell the Brazil under-17 international this summer, but it would enable Santos to get a fee for the player, rather than him leave for free in a few months' time.

"We are negotiating with Juventus for Kaio Jorge, but have not yet decided whether to sell now or if he'll leave in January after his contract expires," Santos President Rueda told Estadio97. "It's not true that this is a bad sale, because we didn't want to sell Kaio, but find ourselves forced to because of his contract."

PAPER GOSSIP

- Wolves are eyeing a move for Aaron Ramsey, according to Calciomercato, with Juventus looking to get the midfielder off their wage bill. The 30-year-old has been linked with a move back to the Premier League as Juventus ramp up their efforts to raise funds. Whilst Wolves have enquired about his services, the Wales international is said to be unconvinced it's the right offer.

- Inter MIlan have identified Joaquin Correa as a potential replacement for striker Lautaro Martinez if he is to leave this transfer window. Mundo Deportivo reports that the 26-year-old is of interest to Inter following 11 goals and 6 assists last season with fellow Serie A club Lazio. The link comes as Lautaro looks closer to an exit with no agreement over a new contract. Reports say Arsenal and Atletico are leading the chase for the forward.

- There could be a re-uniting of Swiss forces this summer as new Bordeaux boss Vladimir Petkovic is eyeing a move for Switzerland international Ricardo Rodriguez, according to Calciomercato. Petkovic guided Switzerland to the quarterfinals of Euro 2020. Since then, Petkovic has taken over at the Ligue 1 side. In one of his first moves at the club, he is hoping to lure left-back Rodriguez from Torino.

- West Ham United and Everton have been linked with a move for Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa, according to the Sunday Mirror. The 24-year-old Brazil star has impressed since moving to Flamengo from Inter Milan in January 2020. It is believed a fee of around £40m could be enough to secure Gabigol's services, who has 15 goals in 17 appearances so far this season.

- Crystal Palace are looking to add Arsenal youngster Reiss Nelson to their squad, according to the Sun on Sunday. Arsenal legend Patrick Viera has overseen a transition with his new Palace squad this summer, filling key positions and lowering the average squad age considerably. Next on his shortlist is 21-year-old Nelson, who already has top flight experience while on-loan at TSG Hoffenheim. The winger is reportedly not part of Mikel Arteta's immediate plans at the Emirates, whilst a loan move to Palace would leave some transfer budget for new boss Viera to add a striker to his squad.

TOKYO -- American swimmer Lilly King doubled down on criticism of Russian athletes hours after the president of the Russian Olympic Committee said his teams' medals are the "best answer" to critics who questioned why the country is allowed to compete following doping scandals.

"There are a lot of people here that should not be here," said King, who won a silver and a bronze medal in Tokyo.

King made her statements seated next to Ryan Murphy, another U.S. swimmer who seemed to take aim this week at a country that has repeatedly run afoul of doping rules.

Murphy later said his comments weren't aimed at the Russians specifically. King was more direct.

"I wasn't racing anyone from a country who should have been banned and instead got a slap on the wrist and rebranded their national flag," she said. "So, I personally wasn't as affected. But Ryan was."

Her comments came hours after ROC president Stanislav Pozdnyakov said critics "supposed that as a matter of fact our athletes can't compete without doping," but that Russian athletes in Tokyo "proved the opposite not just with words but with their deeds and results."

Russia was revealed to have launched a massive, state-sponsored program to elude testers ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. It has sent depleted squads to the last two Olympics as punishment.

The country's name, flag and anthem have been banned from the Olympics and other major sports events following a legal battle with the World Anti-Doping Agency. After competing under the moniker OAR -- Olympic Athletes from Russia -- at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games, it has competed as the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in Japan.

Russian athletes have won 40 medals in Tokyo, 11 of them gold.

Murphy bemoaned Friday that his races were "probably not clean" after taking the silver medal behind Russian swimmer Evgeny Rylov in the 200-meter backstroke. That came three days after he finished behind Rylov and another Russian, Kliment Kolesnikov, in the 100 back.

He said Saturday the comment wasn't targeted at Rylov but was instead intended to address suspicions of doping throughout the sport.

"I think things were definitely, they were definitely taken a little bit differently than what the question I was asked intended," he said. "I was asked a question about doping and swimming and I answered honestly. I do think there's doping in swimming."