The Field in golf at the Paris Olympics 2024
120 golfers, 60 for each of the men’s and women’s competitions, will participate. Out of the 120 quota places, two quota places, one per gender, are set aside for the host nation, France. The remaining 118 quota places (59 per gender) will be allocated based on the OGR rankings, with a deadline of June 17, 2024, for men and June 24, 2024, for women.
The top 15 players in the OGR men and women categories will be selected by name for the Olympics, with a limit of four players per NOC/country. The remaining spots will go to players beyond the top fifteen, with a maximum of two eligible athletes per NOC that doesn’t already have two or more golfers among the top 15. Each of the Olympic Movement’s five continents must also be represented by at least one athlete in each of the men’s and women’s competitions, respectively.
The continental spots are allocated to the highest-ranked players on the OGR from the regions without representation. The IGF publishes Reallocation Reserve Lists every week outlining the next highest-ranked athletes by name. France reserves a direct spot in both the men’s and women’s tournaments as the host nation, but if French golfers qualify regularly through the OGR rankings, their unused spots will be reallocated to the next highest-ranked eligible players. OGR rankings are updated on the IGF website every Tuesday.
Golf at the 2024 Summer Paris Olympics/Date
Olympic golf events will run from August 1-10. The men’s competition will occur from August 1-4, with the women’s tournament running from August 7-10. Both events will feature 72-hole stroke play competitions across four days, with the top three finishers bagging gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. The stroke play format involves counting the total shots a player takes to reach the end of the course, so the male and female golfers with the fewest strokes after the four rounds will win Olympic gold.
Golfers to Watch Out For
Winning an Olympic medal is a great honor in every athlete’s career, and so many of the world’s best will be putting up their best fight at Le Golf National. Defending gold medallists Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda will seek to retain their titles, but they will face stiff competition from the rest of the field. Host nation France will look up to Celine Boutier, Mattieu Pavon, and Victor Perez, who have been flying the country’s flag high in the golfing world. Some golfers have also reportedly opted out of the 2024 Olympics, such as Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott, and Tyrrell Hatton.
As of writing, the top 5 male golfers on the OGR are:
- Scottie Scheffler
- Rory McIlroy
- Xander Schauffele
- Jon Rahm
- Wyndham Clark
Top 5 female golfers on the OGR:
- Nelly Korda
- Lilia Vu
- Celine Boutier
- Ruoning Yin
- Minjee Lee
Final Thoughts
The 2024 Paris Olympics are only a few months out, but golfers still have a couple of OGR-eligible events where they can try to improve their ranking. Players must also respect and comply with the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of Manipulation of Competitions, the World Anti-Doping Code, and the Olympic Charter. Golfers must also be listed by name on the OGR and be in good standing with the IGF and their National Federation.