Miles Bennett
Golf is one of the sports featured at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, with the men's tournament taking place from 1 to 4 August and the women's tournament from 7 to 10 August. Unlike most professional golf tournaments, the Olympic golf tournament does not have a cut rule. In professional golf, the cut rule is used to reduce the number of players advancing to the final rounds by eliminating those with the lowest scores. However, in the Olympic golf tournament, all 60 players in the men's and women's fields progress to the final two rounds. This is because the Olympic golf tournament has a smaller field compared to regular tour events.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Is there a cut in Olympic Golf? | No |
| Number of times golf has been featured in the Olympics | 4 |
| Years golf was featured in the Olympics | 1900, 1904, 2016, 2024 |
| Number of golfers in the men's and women's fields | 60 |
| Number of rounds in the men's and women's tournaments | 4 |
| Number of holes in each round | 18 |
| Maximum number of golf clubs players can carry in their bag during a round | 14 |
| Number of players each country can have if they're in the top 15 | 4 |
| Number of additional spots countries can have based on world rankings | 2 |
| Number of golfers the US has in the men's tournament | 4 |
| Number of golfers the US has in the women's tournament | 2 |
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What You'll Learn
The history of golf in the Olympics
Golf has had a tumultuous relationship with the Olympics, with a journey marked by long absences and triumphant returns. The sport, which originated in Scotland in the 15th century, first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1900 in Paris, France. The competition featured both men's and women's events, an unusual occurrence for the time, with 24 nations and 997 participants competing. The inaugural golf tournament in 1900 was won by Charles Sands of the USA, with Margaret Abbott from the USA clinching the women's title.
Four years later, golf returned for the 1904 St. Louis Games, but this time with only a men's competition. The tournament saw a shift to a match-play format, with Canadian George Lyon taking the gold medal. Despite this early presence, golf then disappeared from the Olympic roster after 1904, beginning a long period of absence that would last over a century. During this time, golf flourished independently, growing into a major global sport with prestigious tournaments such as The Masters and the PGA Championship.
In the early 21st century, a campaign to reintroduce golf to the Olympics gained momentum, driven by a desire to further globalize the sport. In 2009, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to bring golf back for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, marking a significant milestone. The Rio Olympics featured a stroke-play format for both men and women, with England's Justin Rose winning the men's gold and South Korea's Inbee Park capturing the women's title.
Golf returned again for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sport will also be featured in the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2028 Los Angeles Games, ensuring its place in the Olympics for the foreseeable future.
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How golfers qualify for the Olympics
Golf has only featured a handful of times at the Olympic Games, debuting in 1900 and returning in 1904, before making a comeback over a century later at Rio 2016. The sport was also included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and will feature again at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The Olympic Golf Competition will see 120 athletes competing, with 60 players each in the men's and women's events. The host nation, France, will secure two quota places, one for each gender. The other 118 quota places (59 per gender) will be decided by the Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR). Each country can have up to four players if they are in the top 15 of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). After that, countries can have up to two more spots based on their world rankings. This setup ensures that players from across the world get a chance to compete for medals. There is also a rule that guarantees at least one player from each continent in both the men's and women's competitions.
The rankings are updated every Monday, and by Tuesday, you can see who's leading on the International Golf Federation's (IGF) website. The IGF uses the OWGR to create the OGR as a method of determining eligibility. The top 15 world-ranked players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four from a given country. Following that, 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.
It is important to note that, unlike most professional golf tournaments, there are no cuts in Olympic golf.
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The rules of Olympic golf
Golf at the Olympic Games follows an individual stroke-play format. This is similar to events on the PGA and LPGA tours, as well as at all major championships. However, unlike these events, there is no cut after 36 holes in Olympic golf. All 60 players in both the men's and women's fields progress to the final two rounds.
To directly qualify for the Olympic golf competition, players need to rank among the top 15 in the OWGR (Official World Golf Ranking). Each country can have up to four players if they are in the top 15. After that, countries can have up to two more spots based on their world rankings, ensuring that players from across the world get a chance to compete for medals. It is also important to note that there is a rule that guarantees at least one player from each continent will get to play in both the men's and women's competitions.
In terms of gameplay, players are positioned on the leaderboard according to their score relative to par, and the winner is the player who records the fewest total strokes to complete 72 holes. Both the men's and women's golf tournaments at the Olympics are made up of four 18-hole rounds. Players may carry a maximum of 14 golf clubs in their bag during a round. Clubs can be swapped out during a tournament, but only between rounds or if a club is damaged through no fault of the player. Caddies may accompany players on the course, carrying their clubs and assisting with strategy, yardage, reading greens, and club selection.
In the event of a tie, a sudden-death playoff will be played to determine the winner. This is also the case for second and third place in the Olympics, to award silver and bronze medals.
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How Olympic golf differs from PGA golf
Golf at the Olympics differs from the PGA Tour in several ways. Firstly, in terms of player loyalty, golfers at the Olympics represent their countries, whereas PGA Tour golfers are usually loyal to their respective tours, such as the PGA Tour or LIV Golf.
Secondly, the Olympic golf tournament does not feature cuts, unlike most PGA Tour events. In professional golf, a “cut rule” is typically followed, where players with the top scores after a predetermined number of holes advance, while the rest are eliminated. For instance, in the PGA Championship, the top 70 players after 36 holes move on to the next round. In contrast, the Olympic golf tournament follows a no-cut policy, meaning all players continue until the end, regardless of their scores.
Thirdly, the qualification process for the Olympics is distinct from that of the PGA Tour. Olympic golfers qualify based on the Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR), which awards points based on finishing positions in tournaments over a two-year period. The top 15 world-ranked players are eligible, with a maximum of four players from any given country. Additionally, each continent is guaranteed representation, with at least one male and one female golfer from each Olympic continent participating.
Lastly, while the Olympic golf tournament and the PGA Tour both utilise the stroke play format and a four-day, 72-hole structure, they differ in the awarding of medals. In the Olympics, medals are given to the individuals with the lowest, second-lowest, and third-lowest scores (gold, silver, and bronze, respectively). In the PGA Tour, there is no equivalent medal system.
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The 2024 Paris Olympics golf tournament
The 2024 Paris Olympics will host golf tournaments for both men and women, marking the third time the Summer Games have featured golf since its reintroduction in 2016. The golf competitions will take place at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, just outside Paris, from August 1 to August 10, 2024.
The tournaments will feature a total of 120 players, with 60 players each for the men's and women's events. The qualification pathway and format remain consistent with the previous two editions. Sixty players for each tournament qualified based on the official International Golf Federation (IGF) world ranking list. The top 15 world-ranked golfers were directly selected, respecting the four-player limit per National Olympic Committee (NOC). The remaining spots were awarded based on world rankings, with a maximum of two players per NOC. This setup ensures global representation and gives players from various countries a chance to compete for medals.
Unlike most professional golf tournaments, the Olympic golf tournament does not implement a cut system. In professional golf, a ""cut rule" is typically followed, where players with the top scores after a predetermined number of holes advance, while others are eliminated. However, the Olympics follows a no-cut policy, allowing all qualified players to participate throughout the competition.
The men's event will be held from August 1 to August 4, followed by the women's event from August 7 to August 10. Big names like Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, and Collin Morikawa are expected to participate. The competition promises thrilling matchups and showcases of pure skill as the world's best golfers vie for Olympic glory.
If two or more golfers are tied at the end of the final round, a sudden-death playoff hole will determine the winner. Additionally, there will be playoffs to break ties for second and third places to award silver and bronze medals.
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Frequently asked questions
No, there are no cuts in Olympic golf. While most professional golf tournaments feature cuts after a predetermined number of holes, the Olympic golf tournament does not.
In golf, a 'cut' is a way of reducing the number of players by only allowing those with the leading scores to progress to the final rounds.
Yes, there are some other differences between Olympic golf and regular golf tournaments. For example, in Olympic golf, ties must be broken not just to determine a winner but also to determine silver and/or bronze medalists. Additionally, the field size in Olympic golf is smaller than in regular tour events or Major championships.
Golf was last played at the 2020 Tokyo Games. It was also played at the Rio Games in 2016, after an absence of over a century.
