In some ways, it’s familiar territory for those battling for an Olympic medal on Sunday at Le Golf National: Highly coveted title on the line. Host of major champs and elite talents to contend with. Respected golf course that offers plenty of opportunities — for both birdie and bogey.

But on the other end, it’s a foreign idea to these professional golfers, who are so accustomed to not only chasing a singular win but also positioning, for paychecks and FedExCup points.

“It's top three or nothing tomorrow,” said Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who finds himself four shots back of co-leaders Xander Schauffele of the U.S. and Jon Rahm of Spain.

If McIlroy can’t catch either — or hold off several other of the game’s top stars — on Sunday for gold, that’s OK; like in Tokyo, when McIlroy found himself in a seven-man playoff for bronze (one ultimately won by C.T. Pan), there are chances for two other medals as well.

And so, with much on the line Sunday in Paris, here’s what to watch for...

FULL RESULTS

Rahm says he’s feeling as good as when he won his two major championships.

Schauffele has a pair of major titles in his last three starts — oh, and he’s the reigning Olympic gold medalist, too.

Grouped with Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood in Sunday’s final threesome, which tees off at 6:39 a.m. ET, Rahm and Schauffele might still trail runaway No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (USA) in the world rankings. But when it comes to the pinnacle of this sport, both players have consistently been among the best handful.

Rahm struggled in his first few major starts since joining LIV Golf — a non-factor at the Masters, missing the cut at the PGA Championship and withdrawing from the U.S. Open because of a foot injury. But a T-7 finish at The Open and an ensuing maiden victory on LIV Golf last week in England had Rahm entering Paris on a high. “For this last month,” Rahm said, “to be playing as good as I have, and slowly get better; the win last week, and give myself an opportunity this week, as well, is very, very gratifying.”

Yet, arguably no one has been better since May’s PGA than Schauffele, who captured both the Wanamaker Trophy and claret jug.

This week, Rahm has relied on vintage ball-striking, leading the field in both fairways and greens hit. Schauffele’s approach play has been elite, as has his scrambling ability, which he needed Saturday after missing seven greens.

For Rahm, a win Sunday would validate a hot stretch while also serving as some redemption after he was knocked out of the Tokyo Games by a positive COVID-19 test result. 

Schauffele, meanwhile, would become the first two-time gold medalist in golf, which returned to the Olympics in 2016 after a 102-year hiatus.

“I haven't gotten too far, thinking that far,” Schauffele said of a potential second gold medal. “But if I was to take a wild guess, I'm sure it would go right next to where the first one is.”

Fleetwood may be representing Great Britain at these Olympics, but the French crowds — many of whom watched Fleetwood go 4-1 in the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National, where he also won a French Open the year prior — have continued to show their adopted hero love.

“Hideki [Matsuyama] and Wyndham [Clark] said over the first two days, ‘Is this your home country?’” Fleetwood quipped Saturday after a 2-under 69 left him just a shot back of the lead.

“I always consider myself very lucky, like, with the support, I guess, connections with people that I make. But these have been great, and absolutely to be playing the Olympics, to be in contention and to have the support that you have, I mean, they are things that you dream of. If you don't enjoy this, then what's the point?”

Fleetwood has yet another opportunity Sunday to break through for a signature victory. Sure, he’s won seven times on the DP World Tour and captured that tour’s Race to Dubai title in 2017, but he’s not won the BMW PGA, the DPWT’s flagship event. He also has yet to win on the PGA Tour, coming closest last summer when he lost in a playoff at the Canadian Open. And in the majors, Fleetwood owns seven top-5 finishes but no titles.

It's safe to say a gold medal would be Fleetwood’s biggest triumph to date.

South Korea’s Tom Kim has shrugged off the storyline all week — that an Olympic medal would exempt the 22-year-old budding superstar from serving his nearly-two-year mandatory military service.

“I’m just trying to focus on my game,” Kim said Friday.

Well, with one round to play, Kim is tied for sixth and just three shots off the podium. He’s also three strokes ahead of countryman Byeong Hyun An, 32, who also has yet to serve; An was 8 under through 11 holes Saturday before giving a few shots away down the stretch, but even he still holds onto an outside shot at a life-changing medal.

McIlroy fired a third-round 66, his lowest round so far this week, to storm into Olympic contention. He admits he’ll likely need to better that score on Sunday to have a chance at gold.

“It would have been nice to be able to squeeze a couple more shots out of the back nine,” said McIlroy, who birdied all three par-5s on Saturday but managed just two other birdies as he has now lost nearly two-and-a-half shots on the greens through 54 holes.

It's a similar story for Scheffler, who joins McIlroy at 10 under despite ranking 47th out of 60 players in strokes gained: putting (-2.962).

“I haven't had my best stuff the last few days, but I've done enough to hang in there and stay in the tournament,” Scheffler said. “Around this course, you can get hot. You saw Nicolai [Hojgaard] had a really nice round today (a course-record tying 62), and I'm going to need something like that tomorrow if I'm going to be holding a medal. … I've birdied the first hole the last two days, and I haven't really been able to ride the momentum throughout the round. Keep trying to execute and put myself in spots and hope to see some putts go in.”

Aside from Scheffler, McIlroy, Fleetwood and Kim, six other players find themselves within five shots of the leaders. That group includes Hojgaard; Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, who like McIlroy fell short in the bronze-medal playoff in Tokyo; Belgium’s Thomas Detry, who opened the week in 71; Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg; Chile’s Joaquin Niemann; and Australia’s Jason Day.

“It’s amazing for the game to see all those sort of players up there,” McIlroy said. “Obviously, Xander who has had an incredible year; Scottie, best player in the world; you've got Jon Rahm, some younger players; Nicolai shooting 62 today. Yeah, it's an amazing leaderboard and should be an exciting day tomorrow.”

France’s Matthieu Pavon knows Le Golf National well, especially the layout's brutal finishing stretch, which is capped by the treacherous par-4 18th hole.

Pavon currently sits in 59th, ahead of only Great Britain’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who withdrew with a thumb injury. Pavon parred No. 18 each of the first two rounds before carding a triple bogey there on Saturday, as the 454-yard hole played most difficult at 0.49 shots over par.

For the week, No. 18 is only slightly easier (0.46) but still the toughest on the course by a fourth of a shot.

“This is almost maybe the toughest hole I have ever played because you have two very demanding shots to hit,” Pavon said. “First, like the tee shot, it's quite tight if you miss in the rough, you're going to be in a tricky position, and then the second shot, depending where is the pin, it's a tough one, too. So yeah, I think it's overall a very tricky hole, a very difficult one and no matter how many times you play it, never gets easier.”

Should a player need to mark birdie on 18 — or even par — to win a medal on Sunday, it surely won’t be easy.