LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – The International Golf Federation (IGF) today announced the fields for the men’s and women’s Olympic golf competitions at Paris 2024. The men’s Olympic golf competition will take place 1-4 August, while the women will compete 7-10 August. The Olympic golf competitions will be contested at Le Golf National, which annually hosts the FedEx Open de France on the DP World Tour and was the site of the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Once the Olympic Golf Rankings were finalised on 18 June and 25 June for the men’s and women’s Olympic golf competitions, respectively, each National Olympic Committee (NOC) then began the process of confirming their qualifiers for the competitions by 27 June (5 p.m. US Eastern Time). Past this deadline, all unused quota places were then reallocated as per the Qualification System for golf.
With 32 countries represented in the men’s Olympic golf competition and 33 in the women’s field, the composition of the Olympic fields highlights the broad global interest in golf and the opportunity to reach new audiences across all six different continents. Golf is looking to continue building upon the success of the previous two Olympic golf competitions at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Paris 2024 will mark the fifth occasion in which golf has been featured as an Olympic sport, and just the third time since 1904.
In total, 38 different NOCs will be represented across both the men’s and women’s Olympic golf competitions, with the United States of America sending the most athletes: seven (four men, three women). The following is the full list of NOCs represented in the fields for the men’s and women’s Olympic golf competitions: Australia, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United States of America.
In the men’s field, 10 of the top 15 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, as of this week, are competing in the Olympic golf competition, including all of the top-5 ranked players. In the women’s field, all 15 of the top-15 ranked women in the Rolex Rankings, as of this week, are competing in the Olympic golf competition.
Corey Conners has been one of the most consistent Canadians on the PGA TOUR over the past couple of years. It’s that consistency that has earned him a spot on the Canadian Olympic team heading to the upcoming summer Olympics.
Golf Canada recently announced the two spots reserved for the men’s team will go to Conners and 2023 RBC Canadian Open champion, Nick Taylor. On the women’s side, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp will be representing Canada at the upcoming summer Olympics in Paris, France.
When the decision on the men’s team was announced on June 17th, Taylor was 35th and Conners was 37th on the official World Golf rankings – they were the top two ranked Canadians.
After winning the RBC Canadian Open last June, Taylor carried that momentum towards another victory earlier this year at the TPC Scottsdale in February.
“The opportunity to represent my country at the Olympics has been a huge goal of mine for many years,” Taylor pointed out after the official announcement on June 17th.
“To see the news become official is quite humbling and surreal. I’m excited to get to Paris to compete, proudly wear the Maple Leaf, and soak in what I know will be an incredible experience.”
Joining Taylor at the Paris Olympics on the men’s golf team is Conners – who has been posting some strong results recently also. At the RBC Canadian Open in early June, he finished as the top Canadian in sixth spot.
“Definitely something to be proud of,” said Conners at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club about earning the distinction as the top Canadian. “Obviously disappointing not to win the big trophy but yeah it’s a cool honour (to be top Canadian in the field).”
Conners was again the top Canadian on the leaderboard at the U.S. Open – where he finished in a tie for 9th spot.
“It was a solid week overall. I was certainly motivated to improve on my record at the U.S. Open. I feel like the challenging golf courses set up well for me, and I was comfortable with the course, and I felt good about my game,” said the long-time Canadian National Team member from Listowel, Ont.
“It would have been nice to get a little higher up the leaderboard, but it was a really solid week.”
While his last PGA TOUR victory came back in April of 2023 at the Valero Texas Open, consistency has been a key factor to Conners’ success since then. An example of this remarkable consistency is the fact that he has not missed a cut in over a year – the last time Conners missed a cut was at the 2023 U.S. Open in Los Angeles.
Conners’ consistency combined with his recent top 10 results at the U.S. Open and the Canadian Open allowed him to edge out Adam Hadwin, who was ranked one spot behind at 38th in the world golf rankings when the Olympic team announcement was made.
“Huge honor to represent Canada at the Olympics again. It was a big goal of mine, since playing in Tokyo three years ago, that I really wanted to represent Canada again. I feel for Adam Hadwin, he was playing some really good golf as well and I was able to just sneak by him,” said the 32-year-old Conners at the recent Travellers Championship.
“Really happy and excited to get to go to Paris and it will be a lot of fun playing alongside Nick.
This marks the second time Conners will be representing Canada at the summer Olympics. The long-time Canadian National Team member from Listowel, Ont., will look to build on his strong performance at the Toyko Olympics in 2020 where he finished in 13th spot.
It is interesting to note that the last Canadian to win a medal in golf at the Olympics is George Lyon, who captured a gold medal way back in 1904.
Conners and Taylor – along with Henderson and Sharp – will look put their names into the history books later this summer in Paris, France. The men’s Olympic golf tournament will take place from August 1st to August 4th at Le Golf National. The women’s golf tournament will take place at the same venue from August 7th to August 10th.
Two women golfers announced to Canadian Olympic Team for Paris 2024
Golf Canada
TORONTO (June 24, 2024) – Golf Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Team Canada women’s golf athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The two athletes are:
The two athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their standing on the Official World Golf Rankings at the close of the Olympic qualification period following the completion of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday, June 23, 2024. At the close of the Paris 2024 women’s qualification period, Henderson sits 14th on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking and Sharp is 292nd.
The two-year Olympic qualification period for women’s golf saw the athletes earn their spot on Team Canada through their respective results on the LPGA Tour and other women’s global golf competitions. Paris 2024 will mark the third Olympic appearance for both Henderson and Sharp, who competed together at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Henderson was Canada’s top golfer in the sport’s return to the Olympic Games after 112 years, finishing in a tie for seventh at Rio 2016. She then finished tied for 29th at Tokyo 2020. A 13-time winner on the LPGA Tour, including two major titles, Henderson is Canada’s winningest professional golfer of all time. She currently sits fifth on the LPGA Tour’s Race to the CME Globe Rankings, with five top-10 finishes in 14 LPGA Tour starts in 2024. A graduate of Golf Canada’s national team program, Henderson is the only Canadian female athlete to win Canada’s national Junior (2012), Amateur (2013) and National Open Championships (2018 CPKC Women’s Open).
“Any time you can go and represent your country it’s a very proud moment,” said Henderson. “To be able to wear the Maple Leaf and go to Paris is really exciting for me.”
Sharp, a long-time LPGA Tour member, is no stranger to international competition. She earned a bronze medal for Team Canada at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games in Chile. The 43-year old has 16 career top-10 finishes and has made the cut in three of four events played this year on the LPGA Tour. Sharp made 14 cuts in 14 starts on the Epson Tour in 2023 with five top-10 results, including a win at the Champions Fore Change Invitational. She also won the ORORO PGA of Canada Women’s Championship in 2023.
“Reaching the Olympics for a third time was a huge goal of mine coming into this year and I am extremely proud to have achieved it,” said Sharp. “Representing Canada is the highest honour I’ve had in my career.”
Henderson and Sharp will look to become the first Canadian women to win an Olympic golf medal. Canada’s best Olympic finish in women’s golf was Henderson’s tie for seventh at Rio 2016.
Golf Canada’s Director of High Performance Emily Phoenix believes the Olympic and international experience of the athletes will be an asset to the women’s team in Paris.
“Both Brooke and Alena are heading into their third Olympic golf competition and that experience and familiarity is sure to prove beneficial for the athletes,” said Phoenix, who will serve as the Stollery Family Olympic Women’s Team Lead in Paris. “Brooke is a fierce competitor who has proven capable of bringing her best performances to the biggest stage while Alena heads to Paris with a great momentum in returning to the form on the LPGA Tour and earning a bronze medal for Canada at last year’s Pan Am Games golf competition.”
The women’s golf tournament at Paris 2024 will take place August 7 – 10 (Days 12 – 15) at Le Golf National.
“Congratulations to the two Canadian golfers selected to represent Canada in Paris. They will be competing in their third Olympic Games, and their remarkable skills will be crucial assets on the prestigious Golf National course,” said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission. “They are ready to chip away obstacles and represent our country with pride and excellence. Swing strong and play with all your heart!”
Team Canada’s women’s golf team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also includes the following caddies and support staff:
Caddies & Support Staff Emily Phoenix (Calgary, Alta.) – Stollery Family Olympic Women’s Team Lead Brittany Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.) – Caddie for Brooke Henderson Sarah Bowman (Somerset, Penn., USA) – Caddie for Alena Sharp
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.
The latest Team Canada Paris 2024 roster can be found here.
First two Canadian athletes named to Paris 2024 golf team
Nick Taylor and Corey Conners - Team Canada - Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Golf Canada
TORONTO (June 17, 2024) – Golf Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Team Canada men’s golf athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The women’s golf athletes will be announced at a later date. The two male athletes are:
The two athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their standing on the Official World Golf Rankings at the close of the Olympic qualification period following the completion of the US Open on Sunday, June 16, 2024. At the close of the Paris 2024 men’s qualification period, Taylor sits 35th on the Official Golf World Ranking and Conners is 37th.
The two-year Olympic qualification period for men’s golf featured an exciting competition among Canada’s top-ranked male golfers, which ramped up in recent weeks and came down to the wire as the athletes worked to earn their spot on Team Canada through their respective results on the PGA TOUR and other global golf competitions.
Taylor will make his Olympic debut at Paris 2024. The 36-year-old is a four-time winner on the PGA TOUR, including a historic win at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open to become the first Canadian in nearly 70 years to capture Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. With that win, he became the only Canadian male golfer to win the Canadian Junior (2006), Canadian Amateur (2007) and Canadian Open (2023) Championships. Taylor is a graduate of Golf Canada’s National Team Program, and has represented Canada at the World Amateur Team Championship (2008) and World Cup (2018). Taylor’s 2024 season includes three top-10 finishes, highlighted by a victory at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open to lock in his Olympic spot.
“The opportunity to represent my country at the Olympics has been a huge goal of mine for many years,” said Taylor. “To see the news become official today is quite humbling and surreal. I’m excited to get to Paris to compete, proudly wear the Maple Leaf, and soak in what I know will be an incredible experience.”
Conners will make his second Olympic appearance after finishing 13th at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. A T9 finish at the US Open this past weekend helped vault the 32-year-old up nine positions on the Official World Golf Ranking to secure his spot at Paris 2024. He is a two-time PGA TOUR winner (2019 and 2023 Valero Texas Open) who has earned nine top-25 results this season including a solo sixth place finish at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open. Also a graduate of Golf Canada’s National Team Program and past member of the Presidents Cup International Team (2022), Conners has represented Canada on numerous occasions, including the World Amateur Team Championship in 2012 and 2014.
“It is going to be a huge honour to represent Canada alongside all the other athletes,” said Conners. “It was a big goal of mine to make the team again this year and I can’t wait to get to Paris.”
Taylor and Conners will look to become the first Canadian to win an Olympic golf medal since George Lyon’s gold medal at St. Louis 1904. Canada’s best finishes in men’s golf since the sport returned to the Olympics in 2016 were a 13th place finish for Conners (Tokyo 2020) and a 20th place finish for Graham DeLaet (Rio 2016).
Golf Canada’s Director of High-Performance Emily Phoenix praised the athletes for their determination through the qualification period to see their Olympic dreams become a reality.
“Nick and Corey, along with all of the Canadian players have shown a great deal of perseverance throughout the qualification period which shows how much representing Canada at the Olympics means to the athletes. The depth of Canadian talent right now in the professional game is significant and we look forward to sending a strong team to represent Canada in Paris.”
The men’s golf tournament at Paris 2024 will take place August 1 – August 4 (Days 6 – 9) at Le Golf National.
‘’Congratulations to our two Team Canada golfers who are perfectly in the swing for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games! Thanks to their meticulous preparation, these athletes are attacking challenges with impressive drive. Their patience, technical mastery, and calm under pressure place them at the pinnacle of their performance. They demonstrate that hard work and passion lead to the realization of our dreams,‘’ said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission.
Team Canada’s men’s golf team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also includes the following caddies and support staff:
Caddies & Support Staff Emily Phoenix (Calgary, Alta.) – Team Leader David Markle (Shelburne, Ont.) – Caddie for Nick Taylor Danny Sahl (Sherwood, Alta.) – Caddie for Corey Conners
The qualification period for selecting Team Canada’s two female athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympic golf competition ends on Sunday, June 23.
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.
The latest Team Canada Paris 2024 roster can be found here.
Adam Hadwin qualifies for The Open, moves towards verge of Olympics at the Memorial
Adam Hadwin and Scottie Scheffler (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Golf Canada
Dublin, Ohio, USA – Adam Hadwin has qualified for The 152 Open at Royal Troon through the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.
The Memorial Tournament was the seventh event in the Open Qualifying Series and took place at Muirfield Village.
The Canadian was the leading player in the field not already exempt, finishing in third place at 4-under.
The next events in the Open Qualifying Series are the KOLON Korea Open and the KLM Open taking place from 20-23 June.
During a challenging Sunday at Muirfield Village, where only a few players managed to score below par, Hadwin quickly climbed the leaderboard with three birdies in his first seven holes. This brought him within striking distance of the 54-hole leader, Scottie Scheffler. However, Scheffler ultimately edged out Collin Morikawa by one stroke to claim his fifth win in eight starts.
In addition to punching his ticket to The Open, Hadwin’s chances of representing Team Canada at the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition in Paris this summer improved significantly. He jumped 24 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking, from No. 59 to No. 35, positioning himself as Canada’s second available spot with one week of qualification remaining.
At the last Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes represented Canada in men’s golf. In 2016, it was David Hearn and Graham DeLaet. Becoming an Olympian is a notable achievement missing from Hadwin’s impressive resume.
Olympic golf qualification depends on the Official World Golf Ranking, which will be finalized after the U.S. Open next week. Nick Taylor is likely to secure the first spot, leaving Conners, Hadwin, Taylor Pendrith, and Hughes in contention for the second spot.
All five Canadians will compete next week at Pinehurst No. 2.
Celebrating 100 Days until Olympic Golf at Paris 2024
Golf Canada
Men’s competition to be held 1-4 August, followed by the women’s competition 7-10 August
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (Tuesday, 23 April, 2024) – In 100 days, the men’s golf competition will commence at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics at the renowned Le Golf National. The men’s golf competition will be contested Thursday, August 1st through Sunday, August 4th, followed by the women’s competition, which will run Wednesday, August 7th through Saturday, August 10th. Paris 2024 marks the fifth time golf has been featured in the Olympics, and just the third time since 1904 after its return at Rio 2016.
“With 100 days until the beginning of Olympic Golf Competitions, we’re excited to see the momentum building as we approach the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games,” said International Golf Federation Executive Director Antony Scanlon. “We know Le Golf National will provide a challenging, dramatic test to the competitors, and I can’t wait to welcome these 120 athletes as they represent their nations on sport’s biggest stage while vying to be presented Olympic medals atop the podium.”
QUALIFICATION
Both the men’s and women’s fields for the Olympic Golf Competitions feature 60 players. The IGF uses the Official World Golf Ranking to create the Olympic Golf Rankings as a method of determining eligibility. The top 15 world-ranked players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top 15, players will be eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15. For more information on the qualification process and to access the most updated Olympic Golf Rankings, please click here.
If qualification ended today (April 23, 2024), Canada’s team would be comprised of Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin on the men’s side and Brooke Henderson and Maddie Szeryk on the women’s team.
COMPETITION FORMAT
The competition consists of a 72-hole individual stroke play for both men and women, with four rounds scheduled over four consecutive days. Scores are cumulative from round to round. The player with the lowest aggregate score wins.
HOST COURSE – LE GOLF NATIONAL
Le Golf National, one of the most prestigious golf venues in Europe, will host both competitions and is owned and managed by the French Golf Federation. Located in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Le Golf National has previously hosted major international competitions, most notably the 2018 Ryder Cup. The venue also serves as the permanent home for the annual Open de France event on the DP World Tour. Le Golf National opened in 1991 and was fully renovated in 2016.
KEY DATES FOR OLYMPIC GOLF
12 June – 50 days from the beginning of the men’s Olympic Golf competition
17 June – Olympic Golf Rankings finalised for the men’s golf competition
24 June – Olympic Golf Rankings finalised for the women’s golf competition
23 July – Olympic Torch at Le Golf National
29 July – Groupings and tee times announced for the men’s golf competition
1-4 August – Men’s golf competition
5 August – Groupings and tee times announced for the women’s golf competition
7-10 August – Women’s golf competition
NEW IGF WEBSITE
Today, the IGF also released its new website: www.igfgolf.org.
Olympics are moving closer to adding a mixed team event in golf for LA in ’28
Doug Ferguson/ Associated Press
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The Grant Thornton Invitational began last year to strong reviews from the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players who took part in the first mixed-team event since 1999.
Next on the horizon are the Olympics.
The format already is set for the Summer Olympics at Le Golf National outside Paris. Just like in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, there will be 72-hole competitions for the men and the women. But Olympic officials are close to finalizing a team competition for the 2028 Games at Riviera in Los Angeles.
One person involved in the talks said an announcement could come as early as The Masters. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details are not completed.
Among the details are how many teams would play and the format for the competition. The current plan for 2028 is for the men to start on Wednesday (instead of Thursday) and finish on Saturday. The team competition could take place on Sunday and Monday. The women would have a practice round on Tuesday and start their competition on Wednesday.
The International Olympic Committee tends to frown on awarding two medals from one competition, such as combining scores from individuals into a team medal. That’s why golf officials are proposing a separate event.
Still to be determined is how many countries will be eligible to compete. One option currently being discussed is 36 holes of fourballs to decide the team medalists.
The IOC would do well to consider singles. To have a team format (foursomes or fourballs) on Sunday, followed by singles scores from each male and female players could produce 54-hole scores.
Such is the format used at the Summer Youth Olympics, where golf was played first in 2014. At the last such competition, Atthaya Thitikul was part of the Thai team that won the gold over Akshay Bhatia and Lucy Li of the United States.
A mixed team event would require only two more days for the players. It’s unlikely any of the top players would be playing the following week at a regular PGA Tour event.
Lydia Ko and Jason Day won the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational. Ko already has a silver and a bronze in her two Olympic appearances.
Leading stars from men’s and women’s golf poised for Olympic glory next summer at Le Golf National’s Albatros Course
A year from now, 120 of the world’s best golfers – 60 men and 60 women – will gather at Le Golf National to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The course, which is just southwest of Paris and 15 minutes from the majestic Palace of Versailles, is no stranger to international competition after hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup as well as the Open de France on the DP World Tour 28 times.
PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 29: A general view of the 16th green at the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National on September 29, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Paul Severn/Aberdeen Standard Investments via Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 29: A general view of the 16th green at the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National on September 29, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Paul Severn/Aberdeen Standard Investments via Getty Images)
Golf in the Olympics is in its relative infancy, though. The sport returned to the roster of events in 2016 after an absence of 112 years and the coveted gold, silver and bronze medals awarded in France will be just the fifth set for the men and the fourth for the women.
Even so, what unfolds during that two-week span in August 2024, could be historic.
No male or female golfer has ever medaled in three Olympics. But barring a precipitous drop in the Olympic Golf Ranking over the next 12 months, Lydia Ko of New Zealand will head to Paris with just that opportunity.
Ko won a silver medal in 2016 at the Rio Olympics, finishing five strokes behind South Korea’s Inbee Park despite making her first-ever ace during the third round. And in the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Ko lost a silver medal playoff to Japan’s Mone Inami after both players finished a shot behind Nelly Korda of the United States.
KAWAGOE, JAPAN – AUGUST 07: Lydia Ko of Team New Zealand celebrates with the silver medal at the victory ceremony after the final round of the Women’s Individual Stroke Play on day fifteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 07, 2021 in Kawagoe, Japan. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
KAWAGOE, JAPAN – AUGUST 07: Lydia Ko of Team New Zealand celebrates with the silver medal at the victory ceremony after the final round of the Women’s Individual Stroke Play on day fifteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 07, 2021 in Kawagoe, Japan. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Ko, who is a 19-time winner on the LPGA Tour, recently told Olympics.com that getting to play in Paris is one of her biggest goals over the next year. And while earning a third straight medal — of any kind — is a top priority, she’d like nothing better than to complete her set with a gold.
“Paris is probably going to be my last Olympics,” the 26-year-old said. “Obviously, it’d be another year on top of this year and then another four on top of that, and I don’t know whether I’d like to be competing by the time it comes to L.A. (and Riviera Country Club).
“(Paris is) definitely the biggest thing that’s lingering in my mind. … It’d be pretty surreal to say that you’ve medaled at all three of the Olympics since its return in over 100 years… it’d be really cool to say I have the trio of all three colors.”
Ko is used to making history, too. She won her first LPGA event at the age of 15 and her first major at 18 – in each case, she was the youngest to ever do so. And when she was ranked No. 1 in the world at the age of 17, she was the youngest male or female to reach that position.
The competition on the Albatros Course at Le Golf National, designed by Hubert Chesneau and Robert Von Hagge, will be challenging, though. The men’s stroke-play event will be held Aug. 1-4, 2024 while the women take center stage Aug. 7-10.
The players are selected from the Olympic Golf Rankings (which are based on the Official World Golf Ranking). The top 15 men and top 15 women are eligible to play in the Games — with a limit of four from a single country.
Once past No. 15 in the Olympic Golf Rankings, there will be a maximum of two eligible players from each country that doesn’t already have two or more in the top 15. Ko currently ranks third behind No. 1 Jin Young Ko of South Korea and Korda, the 2020 gold medalist, who is also looking to have another shot at a medal.
“I kind of had watery eyes,” Korda told Golf Channel after her victory. “I was like wow, this is surreal. You don’t understand it until you’re in the position. It’s such an incredible feeling at the end of the day.
“You’re not just playing for yourself, you’re playing for your country. There’s so much history in the Olympics and just to be a part of that is amazing.”
Based on the current ranking, the Canadian women’s golf team would consist of Brooke Henderson and Maude-Aimee Leblanc. Meanwhile, the men’s team would be comprised of Corey Conners and Nick Taylor.
Scottie Scheffler, who won the 2022 Masters Tournament and the 2023 PLAYERS Championship, leads the men’s Olympic Golf Rankings. A rookie on the PGA TOUR in 2020, he would be making his Olympic debut, as potentially would two other U.S. players currently ranked among the top six – Patrick Cantlay and Max Homa, if they can hold onto their spots.
Reigning gold medalist Xander Schauffele is also well positioned in the mix for the Americans with a little over a year – and four major championships, all four in 2024 – to go before the teams are finalized.
World No. 2 Jon Rahm, the reigning Masters champion, is looking to potentially begin his Olympic experience in Paris. He had to withdraw from the Tokyo Games – postponed until the summer of 2021 as the coronavirus continued to spread – due to a positive COVID test of his own.
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 09: Jon Rahm of Spain celebrates on the 18th green after winning the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 09, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 09: Jon Rahm of Spain celebrates on the 18th green after winning the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 09, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who currently is second in the Olympic Rankings, was part of an unusual seven-man playoff for the bronze medal in Tokyo that was won by C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei. Entering the competition, McIlroy said he wasn’t sure of what to expect at the Olympics but playing for his country clearly impacted the 34-year-old.
“It makes me even more determined to go to Paris and try to pick one up,” McIlroy said after missing out on the bronze medal. “It’s disappointing going away from here without any hardware, 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 a great day to be up there in contention for a medal. It 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.”
McIlroy acknowledged the Olympic spirit had “bitten him” in Tokyo, but he thinks he’ll have a better chance to come home with some hardware in Paris now that he’s been to an Olympics and knows what to expect.
“I would come in with a slightly different mindset of targeting a medal just instead of seeing how it goes and seeing what the experience is like,” the four-time major champion said. “But I would like to keep the sort of relaxed vibe and atmosphere that we have had within the team all week, because I think honestly, part of the reason I played well this week is because of that atmosphere that we have had.”
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – The International Golf Federation (IGF) has announced DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley has been elected as its new Chairman.
The announcement was made following an IGF Board Meeting which was conducted December 7, 2023.
World Golf Hall of Fame Member Annika Sörenstam was also reelected as IGF President.
“We are grateful for the leadership of Keith Pelley and Annika Sörenstam as we continue to encourage the international development of the sport of golf,” said IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlon. “As two prominent members in the international golf landscape, Keith and Annika will bring extensive experience and knowledge to our overall strategy and we are thrilled to have them in these key roles. I also want to thank PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan for his tenure as the IGF Chairman and we’re delighted to have him continue on the Board moving forward.”
Pelley, from Canada, became the fourth CEO in the DP World Tour’s history in August 2015, will serve as the Chairman of the IGF from 2023-2027.
Prior to joining the DP World Tour, Pelley was President of Rogers Media in Toronto. Before that, he was Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning at CTVglobemedia, President of Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, President and CEO of the Toronto Argonauts Football Club and President of The Sports Network (TSN) in Canada.
Sörenstam, who has 97 worldwide professional victories during her prestigious playing career, was reelected for a second two-year term as IGF President, which she’ll serve from 2023-2024.
American Korda wins gold at women’s Olympic golf competition
KAWAGOE, JAPAN - AUGUST 07: Nelly Korda of Team United States celebrates with the gold medal at the victory ceremony after the final round of the Women's Individual Stroke Play on day fifteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 07, 2021 in Kawagoe, Japan. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Golf Canada
American Nelly Korda won the women’s Olympic golf competition by one stroke over Japan’s Mone Inami and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko.
Korda had held the tournament lead since the second round when she carded a 9-under 62, and was able to stay ahead with consecutive rounds of 69 to finish the tournament at 17 under.
“It feels amazing,” said Korda. “After today Lydia was playing really well, so was Mone, they both played super well, so we were all bunched up there. It was very stressful, but I kept it together, I fought pretty hard.”
Inami and Ko both finished the tournament at 16 under, forcing the silver and bronze medals to be decided by a playoff.
Inami defeated Ko on the first hole of the playoff, the par 4 18th hole.
Ko also won a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Canadian Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished tied for 29th at 4 under after putting in a final round 67, her lowest round of the tournament. Alena Sharp of Hamilton finished 49th at 5 over.
Canadian golfer Brooke Henderson competes in the fourth round of the Womens Individual Stroke Play tournament during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on August 07, 2021. COC/Handout Dave Holland
“Yeah, I’m really excited to be a two-time Olympian and to be able to compete here this week,” said Henderson. “I feel like playing in the Olympics for golf is huge, just such a big stage and feels like it reaches a lot more people which is really exciting and hopefully the future is bright for Canadian golf and all around the world.”
