Golf’s return to the Olympics this summer will be the first time the sport has been in the Olympics since 1904, a fact probably known by even the sport’s most casual fans.

The story of golf in the Olympics, however, runs much deeper than that and is riddled with ‘what ifs’.

The 1900 Olympics in France, the second Olympiad of the modern era, included both men’s and women’s golf.

The Games were loosely organized and promoted, albeit with no opening or closing ceremonies, and were held as part of that year’s world’s fair in Paris. Few of the winning athletes received medals with most, instead, getting trophies.

Charles Sands of the U.S. was the men’s golf champion beating Walter Rutherford of Great Britain. Margaret Ives Abbott, an art student from Chicago, won the nine-hole women’s competition. She died in 1955 not ever knowing that she was the first female American gold medallist.

The 1904 edition in St. Louis featured Canadian George S. Lyon winning the individual men’s golf competition but no individual female champion. The women’s competition had been dropped and replaced with a men’s team competition, in which Canada did not compete. The United States was the only country entered and so, not surprisingly, won the gold, silver and bronze.

Lyon sailed to London to try to defend his championship in the 1908 games but arrived to find that arguments over who would actually stage the golf competition and oversee rules had resulted in its last-minute cancellation.

The Games organizers offered to give Lyon the gold medal for showing up but he declined it, saying that he hadn’t earned it.

The 1912 Games were in Stockholm, Sweden but golf was in its infancy in that Nordic country and the sport was not included.

Although there was talk over the years about its return, including the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and the 2008 Games in Beijing, there was no real groundswell for golf until Ty Votaw and Peter Dawson representing the International Golf Federation — along with Padraig Harrington, Michelle Wie, Suzann Pettersen and Matteo Manassero — accompanied Lyon’s Olympic trophy from 1904 into a meeting with the International Olympic Committee in 2009 and convinced them it was time.

The history of Olympic golf This article was originally published in the May 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Defending champion Brooke Henderson survived some tense moments on the back nine on the way to a four-stroke victory Sunday at the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic.

The second-ranked Henderson – a native of Smiths Falls, Ont., – shot a 14-under 274 after a final round 71 at Columbia Edgewater Country Club, pulling away from American Stacy Lewis, who was 10-under after a 69.

Henderson became the first back-to-back winner at Portland since Annika Sorenstam won consecutive tournaments in 2002 and 2003. The 18-year-old is the first wire-to-wire winner at Portland since the tournament went to a 72-hole event in 2013.

Henderson is the tour’s second wire-to-wire winner this year, joining Ha Na Jang, who won the Coates Championship in February.

It was Henderson’s third career win, all coming in the Northwest. Aside from her two Portland victories, Henderson won the Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee in Sammamish, Washington, three weeks ago.

Stacy Lewis is winless in 53 starts since taking the North Texas LPGA Shootout in June 2014 for her 11th tour victory. She has 11 runner-up finishes during the drought and 24 overall.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, the 2011 and 2013 Portland champion finished third at 9-under after a 72. Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe, tied for the lead with seven holes remaining, was 8-under after making double bogeys on her final two holes to shoot 75. Austin Ernst, who won Portland in 2014, was also 8-under after a 73.

Christina Kim posted the low score of the day with a 66 to finish 7-under, as did Lee-Anne Pace, Lee Lopez and Cheyenne Woods. Pace shot 68, while Woods had a 72 for her first career top 10. Lopez, an LPGA rookie, shot 73.

This Portland performance was much different than her runaway victory in 2015, when Henderson rolled to a tournament-record eight-stroke win with a 21-under 267.

Henderson was forced to grind the final two rounds, often having to save pars following wayward drives.

Sunday turned into a two-player race early on the back nine, when Uribe birdied the par-4, 337-yard 11th to tie Henderson for the lead at 14-under.

But Henderson quickly resumed control at the par-5, 546-yard 12th. Uribe hit a poor drive and made bogey, while Henderson dropped a three-foot birdie putt to take a two-shot lead.

The lead melted to one at 13, when Henderson’s tee shot at the 160-yard par-3 went into the bunker and she made bogey. Uribe fell two strokes back at the par-4, 372-yard 15th with a bogey.

The par-4, 397-yard 17th became the tournament’s decisive hole. Henderson and Uribe both drove into a bunker, then blasted their approach shots over the green. But Uribe hit her third shot 50 feet past the hole and made double bogey, while Henderson was able to get up and down to save par, making an eight-foot putt.

Lewis never got closer than three strokes, and might have put some pressure on Henderson but made bogeys at 16 and 18.

Sakura Yokomine (69), Vicky Hurst (71) and Carlota Cignada (73) were eight shots back at 6-under. In-Kyung Kim shot 69 to head a group of five at 5-under.

American Morgan Pressel was 2-under after posting her best round of the week, a 67.

AKRON, Ohio – Dustin Johnson returned from celebrating his U.S. Open victory by taking down the world’s No. 1 player to win another World Golf Championship.

Johnson didn’t miss a beat from Oakmont to Firestone, powering and putting his way to a 4-under 66 on Sunday to win the Bridgestone Invitational for his second straight victory, making him the player to beat heading into the British Open in two weeks.

“This golf course is playing so tough, it’s not like I need to go out and shoot 63,” Johnson said. “You just try to hit it in the fairway and get to get it on the green and try to make some putts. I knew if I shot 4 or 5 under I’d have a chance.”

Jason Day, poised for his first victory in his adopted home state of Ohio, helped make it easy for Johnson.

Day had a one-shot lead when he missed a 4-foot par putt on the 15th hole, and then collapsed with a series of bad shots and bad choices. He tried to play it safe off the tee on the 655-yard 16th hole and hooked a 3-wood into the trees. He blasted through the branches and through the fairway, getting a good break when a young fan picked up his ball, allowing Day to drop it from behind a tree.

Then, he tried to squeeze a shot from 200 yards around the pond. It came up short and rode the collar of the bank into the water, leading to double bogey. Day didn’t hit a green in regulation over the final six holes, closed with a bogey and shot 72 to tie for third.

“Disappointed, but I’ve got to try and focus on what I did great this week, move on, and try and get better for the next one,” Day said.

Scott Piercy was a runner-up to Johnson for the second straight time. He narrowly missed birdie chances, and the birdie putt he made on the 18th gave him a 70 and allowed him to finish alone in second.

Johnson, who finished at 6-under 274, moved to a career-best No. 2 in the world by a fraction over Jordan Spieth.

Spieth closed with a 67 and tied for third with Matt Kuchar (66), Kevin Chappell (67) and Day.

Johnson, who won his third World Golf Championship, did his part. He showed plenty of rust the opening two days, coming off a week in The Bahamas when he celebrated his 32nd birthday and his first major championship. He hit his stride on the weekend with a 66-66 finish.

Johnson was three shots behind when he rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole, and followed with a wedge into 8 feet for birdie on the next hole. Right when Day was getting into big trouble on the 16th, Johnson blasted a 9-iron out of the thick rough on the 17th to 15 feet and rolled in the birdie putt to take command.

Johnson now has 11 career victories in his nine years on the PGA Tour.

“I feel great,” he said. “I feel like my game is where it has been all year. I just haven’t been putting quite as well as I’d like. The last couple of weeks, I just putted a little better.”

He made it sound so simple, even as the back nine became so complicated.

Johnson ran into trouble himself on the 18th hole when he pulled his tee shot into the rough and clipped a branch on his punch shot, dropping into deeper rough. Instead of trying to play over a bunker, he pitched to the far collar of the green and lagged his putt to make sure he made nothing worse than bogey.

Unlike his U.S. Open victory, at least he knew the score.

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Thongchai Jaidee produced an impressive display of front-running to win the French Open by four strokes, as Rory McIlroy failed to deliver a final-round surge on Sunday.

Starting the day with a two-stroke lead over McIlroy, the 46-year-old Thongchai birdied two of his first six holes and shot a 3-under 68 to finish on 11-under 273 at Le Golf National outside Paris, where the 2018 Ryder Cup will be staged.

For his eighth victory on the European Tour, the Thai player collected $650,000 – the biggest cheque of his career. He described his fourth victory over the age of 40 as his “biggest win ever.”

“I had Rory two shots behind me but I tried to play my own game, hit a lot of fairways and greens,” said Thongchai, “and I knew this week I was putting well.”

Francesco Molinari finished in second place after shooting 66, the lowest round of the final day.

McIlroy couldn’t get near Thongchai. He bogeyed No. 3 and made his only birdie on No. 14, shooting an even-par 71 to be a stroke behind Molinari in third place.

The fourth-ranked McIlroy regarded that as a success, considering he is in the middle of vast changes to his swing.

“I’ve got 10 days until the (British) Open starts,” McIlroy said, looking ahead to the third major of the year at Royal Troon starting July 14. “I’m going to be working every day to try and get better and will play a bit of links golf to work on the shots I need for Troon as well.

“Even though this week it didn’t feel that good I’m obviously doing some things right.”

Brandon Stone, Alex Noren, Callum Shinkwin and Richard Sterne all qualified for the British Open after finishing in the top 12.

RENO, Nev. – Greg Chalmers won the Barracuda Championship on Sunday at Montreux for his first PGA Tour title, eagling the final hole for a six-point victory in the modified Stableford scoring event.

The 42-year-old Australian won in his 386th start after entering the week as the active player with the most events without a victory.

“It’s hard to win and I’m very thrilled and very pleased to get it done,” Chalmers said. “It was a tough. I knew today would be difficult. And we had difficult conditions. I was blessed, I think, that guys found it tough just the same as I found it tough.”

A point ahead of Gary Woodland and needing at least a par on the par-5 18th to wrap up the victory, Chalmers made an 8-foot eagle putt after hitting a 320-yard drive and 230-yard, 7-iron approach. A few minutes earlier, Woodland hit an 8-iron into the right bunker and three-putted for bogey.

“Quite fortunate that Gary didn’t birdie the last,” Chalmers said. “That would have put a lot of pressure on me.”

Chalmers had a four-point round to finish with 43 in the system that awards eight points for double eagle, five for eagle, two for birdie and deducts a point for bogey and three for double bogey or worse. He also had two birdies and five bogeys, the last two on Nos. 15 and 17.

The left-hander earned a two-year tour exemption, a spot in the British Open at Royal Troon and other perks. With only conditional status, he had split time between the tour and the Web.com Tour this year. The two-time Australian Open champion missed the cuts in his previous five starts on the big tour.

“Just to get back on the PGA Tour. I can’t tell you how exciting that is,” Chalmers said. “Forty-two years of age, I turn 43 in October. This is a real fork in the road for my career, and it’s in the right direction.”

Because of the West Virginia floods that led to The Greenbrier Classic being cancelled, a British Open spot was transferred to the leading player not already eligible at Montreux.

“Can’t wait,” Chalmers said. “It’s such a great thing that the R&A and Barracuda here have done for us, even though the circumstances that came about weren’t the greatest.”

Woodland, the 2013 winner, also had a four-point round to finish second.

“It’s frustrating,” Woodland said. “I didn’t make any putts coming down the stretch.”

In standard scoring, Chalmers finished a stroke ahead of Woodland and third-place finisher Colt Knost, closing with a 1-over 73 for a 15-under total.

Knost had a 10-point round to reach 35. He has three top-four finishes in his last five events.

“I stole some today, but I threw a lot away,” Knost said. “Honestly, all week I just didn’t strike it very well. My short game saved me.”

Tim Herron was another point back after a 13-point round. He was pulling for Chalmers to win.

“That would be great. That would be awesome,” the 46-year-old Herron said while Chalmers was in the middle of the back nine. “He’s grinding his butt off. We’re kind of in that stage of our career – should we hang with the family or should we keep going?”

Brendan Steele and Steve Wheatcroft tied for fifth with 32 points.

“Not the Sunday I wanted,” Wheatcroft said. “They definitely changed the golf course up on us. Took us four or five holes to figure that out. Can’t imagine too much water went on the greens last night. They were rock hard.”

Rhein Gibson had the shot of the week, holing out from 175 yards for double eagle on the par-5 18th. He set up the albatross with a 370-yard drive.

“I hadn’t had a birdie all day and just leaking oil, hitting good shots, not doing anything,” Gibson said. “I hit an unbelievable tee shot there, and had a wedge in. … Saw it go in. The crowd went pretty bonkers.”

Barracuda will donate $100,000 to a charity in Gibson’s name. The only other albatross in tournament history was by Shiv Kapur in 2010, when the hole played as No. 9.

Gibson tied for 25th with 24 points. He and other Australian players showered Chalmers with champagne.

“I didn’t expect that,” Chalmers said. “And kind of unique, because normally a lot of guys will just leave town. So, for them to stay and do that was kind of special.”

Chalmers’ father, John, also was there to celebrate.

“My father just comes out to travel with me when my mom and my kids and my family are staying back in Dallas,” Chalmers said. “He just likes to come out and watch golf. He plays. It’s good for us as father and son – he’s 72 now – for us just to bond and chat and solve the world’s problems every night.”

Chalmers got the last laugh on a Twitter troll, too.

“Unfortunately, someone on Twitter said, ‘That guy can’t close out.’ … I’ll be tweeting him back later, don’t worry about that.”

RENO, Nev. – Greg Chalmers birdied five of the final six holes Saturday to increase his lead to six points in the Barracuda Championship, the PGA Tour’s lone modified Stableford scoring event.

The 42-year-old Australian had seven birdies and a bogey for a 15-point round and 39-point total at Montreux in the scoring system that awards eight points for double eagle, five points for eagle, two points for birdie and deducts a point for bogey and three points for double bogey or worse.

Ben Martin and Gary Woodland were tied for second. Martin had eight birdies in a 16-point round, the best score of the week. Woodland had an 11-point round. He won the 2013 event for the last of his two PGA Tour titles.

Chalmers, Martin and most of the players are fighting for a spot in the British Open in two weeks at Royal Troon in Scotland. Because of the West Virginia floods that led to The Greenbrier Classic being canceled next week, a spot was transferred to the leading player not already eligible at Montreux. Woodland was the only player in the top 23 who has already qualified for the Open.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is T29 at 19 after a 12-point round, while Weyburn, Sask., native Graham DeLaet is tied for 49th with 15 points.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Brooke Henderson grew up toward the eastern part of Canada in Ontario, but the Pacific Northwest has quickly become a favorite of the budding 18-year-old star.

She continued her mastery of Columbia Edgewater Country Club, shooting a 70 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round of the Cambia Portland Classic.

Henderson, who claimed her first LPGA Tour win a year ago in Portland, was at 13-under 203 heading into the final round. She leads Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe, who was 11-under after a 71.

Henderson, who earned her LPGA Tour card shortly after winning last year’s Portland event, was bidding for her third career win, all in the Northwest. Three weeks ago, Henderson rallied to win the Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee in Sammamish, Washington.

Henderson has shared or held the outright Portland lead the past six rounds. She was aiming to become the first back-to-back Portland winner since Annika Sorenstam in 2002-03.

All wasn’t well Saturday for Henderson, who shot 69 or better in each of her first seven Portland Classic rounds at Columbia Edgewater, including last year’s Monday qualifier. Though she had four birdies, she was often scrambling to make par, and her card included a double bogey.

“I played pretty awful today. Definitely want to play better tomorrow. I mean, I hit a lot of good shots. I just didn’t capitalize on my chances. That was the first 12 holes for me,” Henderson said.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, tied for the lead with Henderson after the second round, faded to 9-under following a 74. Pettersen was the only player among the top 15 players who didn’t break par Saturday. Also at 9-under was 2014 Portland champion Austin Ernst following a 69.

Pettersen was bidding to become the Portland Classic’s second three-time winner, joining Nancy Lopez (1985, 1987, 1992). Pettersen has history in Portland, rallying during the final round to win the 2011 and 2013 tournaments. In 2011, Pettersen erased a nine-stroke deficit on the final day to beat Na Yeon Choi in a playoff.

American rookie Lee Lopez was 8-under after a 69.

No. 9 Stacy Lewis was six strokes back at 7-under after shooting 67, the day’s second best score. Cheyenne Woods, whose best finish in two years on the tour was a tie for 24th, was also 7-under following a 69, as was Carlota Ciganda after shooting 70.

Scotland’s Catriona Matthew was 6-under after a 66, the day’s low round. Matthew had a bogey-free card that included an eagle at the par-5, 463-yard seventh. Brianna Do (70) and Angela Stanford (72) were also 6-under.

Henderson said the golf course “has changed so much since Friday morning … it’s so firm and fast right now.” But Henderson says she doesn’t plan to dramatically alter her strategy for Sunday’s final round.

“I think there are definitely holes where par is good. Just kind of get in and out,” Henderson said. “There are definitely still a lot of birdie opportunities out there. If you’re hitting the ball well and in the right spots, you can definitely still shoot a low score. You just have to be careful of the conditions.”

Henderson, tied for the second round lead with Pettersen after two rounds, opened up a two-shot advantage over Uribe at the turn with a front nine of 2-under 34. Pettersen struggled, closing the front nine with back-to-back bogeys to fall four strokes behind Henderson.

The tournament’s complexion changed at the par-3, 160-yard 13th, when Henderson and Uribe each hit their tee shots in the water and made double bogey. Pettersen suddenly was back in it, trailing Henderson by just a shot.

“I didn’t take my time on the tee shot…I just mishit it,” Henderson said.

But Henderson collected herself and made four pars and a birdie, at the par-3 16th, during her final five holes.

Uribe was looking for her first LPGA Tour win. In her sixth year on tour, Uribe’s best finish was third at the 2015 Manulife Classic. The last Colombian to win an LPGA event was Marisa Baena in 2005.

“It would mean a lot to win. This year has been a little tough one me. The results haven’t come. Tomorrow, I’m going to think on my game, shoot a low round. I love playing with Brooke and she’s been playing so good,” Uribe said. “If I win, I want it to be because I shoot a really good round, not because anyone else struggles.”

Vicky Hurst shot 70 and was among four players at 211.

Mariah Stackhouse, the Stanford four-time All-American making her professional debut is 2-under after a 71, as is 2012 Portland champion Mika Miyazato, who shot 70.

A third-round 73 has Hamilton’s Alena Sharp in a five-way tie for 61st, while Victoria native Naomi Ko of Team Canada’s National Team is 71st at 7-over.

The Portland Classic purse is $1.3 million, with $195,000 going to the winner.

AKRON, Ohio – Jason Day wanted to expand his lead Saturday in the Bridgestone Invitational.

He was happy just to keep a share of it.

Spraying tee shots all over Firestone, Day spent most of the afternoon scrambling for par until he made a 35-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole that settled him down in a hard-earned round of 1-under 69 to share the lead with Scott Piercy.

“I felt like Mr. Haverkamp out of ‘Caddyshack’ trying to find his golf ball and not knowing where the golf hole goes,” Day said.

But he could find the bottom of the cup, including three par putts of at least 8 feet.

Piercy, coming off a runner-up finish in the U.S. Open two weeks ago at Oakmont, quickly tied Day for the lead with an eagle on the par-5 second hole and was flawless until the final hole. He had a one-shot lead until pulling his tee shot into the left rough, running a low shot through the green and into a back bunker, and having to scramble just to escape with a bogey and a 67.

They were at 5-under 205, the highest 54-hole score at this World Golf Championship since 2007.

Only nine players remained under par, and given the firm conditions of Firestone, Day believes all of them have a chance.

David Lingmerth of Sweden had a 69 and was one shot behind. The big move Saturday belonged to U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, who hits it a long way and has a short memory.

After warming up on the range, Johnson said he was ready for a great round of golf, adding that “I’m due.” The smile suggested he did recall that he played decently at Oakmont two weeks ago.

Johnson was 5 under through 11 holes and closing in on the lead when he played final seven holes in 1 over for a 66. Still, that was enough to get him to 2-under 208, three shots behind, along with Charl Schwartzel (67) and William McGirt (70).

Justin Thomas and Emiliano Grillo, buddies from their junior golf days, were another shot back. Thomas was in much better position until his wedge shot found the water on the par-5 16th, and his fifth shot after a penalty drop nearly went in for a par. Thomas then missed a 4-foot putt for double bogey.

The 16th also got the best of Jordan Spieth in a big way.

Spieth was starting to make putts when he debated whether to hit 3-wood on the 654-yard 16th hole, thinking he could keep it away from the water and try to make his birdie from the rough. He played it smartly instead by laying up, only it didn’t quite work out that way.

His third shot came up just short and into the water. His next shot went over the green and he couldn’t get up-and-down, making triple bogey.

Spieth said his caddie talked him out of the 3-wood, and he agreed.

“The big number only comes into play with a 3-wood,” he said. “It really was the right decision. It’s just funny how we talked about it like that.”

Spieth had another 71 and was five shots behind.

Piercy had no such issues. He holed a bunker shot on the second hole for eagle and didn’t have any stress in his round except for the 35-foot par putt he holed from the back fringe on the 14th hole. The final hole cost him the lead, but he is driving it well enough to think he has a strong chance to pick up his fourth career victory.

“I know I can do it,” Piercy said. “It’s just doing it on a consistent basis like a Jordan or a Jason and those guys.”

Day opened with a 20-foot birdie putt. He added a short birdie on the sixth hole. A three-putt bogey on the seventh was a nuisance.

What concerned him was a tee shot on the eighth that was meant to be a sweeping draw and turned into a shot deep into the trees for a bogey. And it didn’t get much better from there. He was in trouble off the tee on the next two holes and salvaged pars. He hit only three fairways in the round.

“The short game saved me, but mentally I was just trying to grind and grind and grind,” Day said.

“Because I thought if I can just somehow get something in and give myself an opportunity for tomorrow … it’s very easy, hitting the positions I hit it today, to sit there and go, ‘Well, it’s just not my day or not my week’ and kind of switch off a little bit. But didn’t want to allow myself to switch off mentally.”

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand posted a 3-under round of 68 on Saturday to move 8-under and take a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the French Open.

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy and South Korea’s Wang Jeung-hun posted 1-under 70s, having been level with Jaidee and two other players overnight.

Jaidee played consistently with three birdies.

“I had a good game plan today … hit a lot of fairway,” the 46-year-old Jaidee said. “Three-under is an amazing round with the conditions and the wind gusting.”

By contrast, McIlroy’s third round was hugely erratic as the four-time major winner had six birdies, three bogeys and one double-bogey.

McIlroy recovered to make five birdies on the back nine.

Wang’s round was the opposite, featuring three bogeys on his way back to the clubhouse after he had set out with four birdies on the front nine.

Defending champion Bernd Wiesberger of Austria posted 70 and is one shot behind at 5-under, followed by South African Brandon Stone and four other players at 3-under.

Wiesberger is looking to become the sixth player to successfully defend the title at the Le Golf National course, which is hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup.

“I’m right up there,” said Wiesberger, who recovered from a bogey-bogey start to make three birdies. “I have played well on Sundays here, so everything is in place.”

Stone shared the overnight lead, but fell away with a 2-over 73 – including double bogey on the 18th hole.

Mikko Ilonen, the other overnight co-leader, fared even more badly.

The Finn hit a 4-over 75 – including a quadruple bogey on the fifth hole – to fall seven shots behind Jaidee and way out of contention.

There are four qualifying places for the British Open up for grabs. They will go to the leading four players, not otherwise exempt, who finish in the top 12 and ties.

TROON, Scotland – Tiger Woods is out of the British Open, the first time he has sat out three straight majors.

The R&A announcement was not a surprise. Woods has not played in nearly a year as he recovers from two back surgeries. He has given little indication when he will be healthy enough to return.

This will be only the second time Woods has missed the British Open. He had knee surgery in the summer of 2008 and missed Royal Birkdale, and he missed the Open at Royal St. George’s in 2011 while recovering from leg injuries.

Woods was replaced in the field by Marcus Fraser of Australia.