Five hours later, Xander Schauffele, a 27-year-old from San Diego, took home gold to applause from what was certainly one of the biggest crowds to witness an Olympic win this year.

Afterward, his father and coach, Stefan Schauffele, said that he had felt nothing the whole day — until it was over.

The entire experience was particularly resonant for the elder Schauffele, who was an Olympic decathlon hopeful growing up until a drunk driver hit his car, leaving the then-20-year-old blind in one eye.

Xander Schauffele becomes the first American golfer to win Olympic gold since 1900 (it wasn't contested from 1908-2012), and he started the final day atop the leaderboard, looking dominant on the front nine.

That left him tied with Rory Sabbatini, whose Olympic-record round of 61 moved him from seven shots back to gold medal contention on the final day.

Sabbatini finished with the silver medal.

"They’re flipping out right now,” Stefan said about the Tokyo-based side of the family.

Hideki Matsuyama, who entered the day one stroke back of Schauffele, struggled from the outset.

Japan’s best hope for a men’s golf medal dabbed and then wiped his face seemingly between every swing as he shot par while his playing partners birdied on the first few holes.

The Schauffeles' international story and the full-circle nature of Xander’s gold medal with his father, whose own Olympic aspirations were taken from him, inspired someone to ask Stefan if the family was an example of the American Dream.

“You guys do the ‘American story,’” Stefan said.

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