Harper Lin
Golf has been an Olympic sport since 1900, when it first featured in the Summer Olympic Games. It was also part of the 1904 Games, but then disappeared from the programme for over a century. The sport made its comeback in 2016 at the Rio Games, and has been a fixture at the Olympics since. The 2024 Olympic Golf competition took place at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France, with 120 athletes competing in the men's and women's events. The game follows the basic rules of golf, with a few variations, and the competition is an individual stroke play tournament consisting of 72 holes played over four days.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First featured in Olympics | 1900 |
| Featured in Olympics after a long gap in | 2016 |
| Governing body | International Golf Federation (IGF) |
| Basis of qualification | Official World Golf Ranking (men) and Women's World Golf Rankings |
| Number of players per country | 4 |
| Number of players competing in the 2024 Olympic Golf competition | 120 |
| Number of players competing in the 2024 men's and women's events | 60 each |
| Venue for 2024 Olympic Golf competition | Le Golf National, Guyancourt, France |
| Basic rules | Players begin each hole from the tee box; ball must be played as it lies on the course; players may only use their clubs to contact the ball |
| Hazards | Bunkers, sand traps, rough, trees, water hazards |
| Penalty | Incurred if the ball goes out of bounds, lands in a water hazard, or is otherwise unplayable |
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What You'll Learn
Golf's Olympic history
Golf has featured as an Olympic sport on three separate occasions: first in 1900, then in 1904, and most recently in 2016, after a 112-year hiatus.
1900
Golf first became an Olympic sport during the second edition of the modern Games in Paris, 1900.
1904
The sport returned four years later at the 1904 Games in St. Louis. This edition featured a men's individual tournament and a men's team competition. Canada's George Lyon won the gold medal in the individual event. The team competition featured teams of 10 from various regional golf associations around the United States, with the Western Golf Association taking the gold medal.
1920
Two golf tournaments were planned for the 1920 Antwerp Games, but they were cancelled due to a lack of entries.
2016
Golf was reinstated for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, more than a century after its previous appearance. The men's tournament was won by Justin Rose of Great Britain, with Inbee Park of the Republic of Korea claiming the women's gold medal.
2020
Golf also featured at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Xander Schauffele won the men's gold medal, with Nelly Korda of the USA taking the women's title.
2024
Golf will once again be included in the Olympic program for the Paris 2024 Games.
2028
A new mixed team event will be added to golf for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
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Rules of golf at the Olympics
Golf was first recognised as a sport in the Summer Olympic Games programme in 1900 and was also contested in 1904. However, it didn't become a fixture at the Olympics until 2016. Since its reintroduction, Olympic golf competitions have consisted of men's and women's individual stroke play.
The Olympic golf competition is similar to events on the PGA and LPGA Tours. The competition is an individual stroke play tournament consisting of 72 holes played over four days. The golfer with the lowest cumulative score at the end of the four rounds wins the gold medal. The second- and third-place finishers receive silver and bronze medals.
The essential rule of golf is that for each stroke, the player must play the ball as it lies, and the course as they find it. They start with a tee shot and finish in the hole on a closely mown surface called a green, where only the putter is allowed to be used. For longer holes, the player should aim for the fairway (another mown surface) from where they can play an approach shot into the green.
Players begin each hole from the tee box. For this shot, and only this shot, players may elevate the ball off the ground using a plastic or wooden tee. For subsequent shots, the ball must be played as it lies on the course. Once the player's ball reaches the putting surface, they are free to mark, pick up, clean and replace the ball. Each time the player advances the ball toward the hole using a club, it is recorded as one stroke. Players may only use their clubs to contact the ball. If a shot results in the ball going out of bounds, landing in a water hazard, or being otherwise unplayable, the player incurs a penalty.
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 are helpers who carry the golfer's bag during competitive events.
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Olympic golf rankings
Golf has been recognised as a part of the Olympic Games since 1900, although it has only become a fixture at the Olympics since 2016. The Olympic golf competition is similar to events on the PGA and LPGA Tours, consisting of men's and women's individual stroke play. The competition is a 72-hole tournament played over four days, with the golfer who has the lowest cumulative score at the end of the four rounds winning the gold medal. The second- and third-place finishers receive silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Qualification for the Olympic golf competition is determined by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for men and the Women's World Golf Rankings. The top 15 players in each ranking are eligible for the Olympics, with a maximum of four players from a single country. After the top 15, the Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) consist of up to the top two eligible players per country, provided that country does not already have at least two players in the top 15. The rankings are calculated each week, with the results posted on the IGF website.
In recent years, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Spain's Jon Rahm have topped the men's rankings, while South Korea has become the most powerful nation in the women's game, led by golfers such as Park, Kim Sei-young, and Ko Jin-young. However, the US's Nelly Korda won Olympic gold in Tokyo, with Lydia Ko of New Zealand returning to the top of the rankings. Other high-ranking golfers include Australia's Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, and Brooks Koepka.
The 2024 Olympic golf tournaments were held at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France, with Scottie Scheffler of Team USA and Lydia Ko of New Zealand taking home the gold medals in the men's and women's events, respectively.
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Format of the golf competition
Golf was recognised as a sport in the Summer Olympic Games programme in 1900 and was also contested in 1904. However, it was not until 2016 that it became a fixture at the Olympics. The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will see 120 athletes competing, with 60 men and 60 women.
The Olympic golf competition is similar to events on the PGA and LPGA Tours. The competition is an individual stroke-play tournament consisting of 72 holes played over four days. The golfer with the lowest cumulative score at the end of the four rounds wins the gold medal. The second- and third-place finishers receive silver and bronze medals.
The ranking system relies on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), which are updated weekly based on players' performances in tournaments worldwide. Points are awarded based on where the players finish in their tournament. To directly qualify for the Olympic golf competition, players need to rank among the top 15 in the OWGR. 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, making a total of 60 players.
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. A caddie may accompany a player on the course, carrying the player's clubs and assisting with strategy, yardage, reading greens, and club selection.
Players play alongside each other in pairings or groupings and tee off in order according to how they finished the previous hole. For the first shot of each hole, players may elevate the ball off the ground using a plastic or wooden tee. For subsequent shots, the ball must be played as it lies on the course. Once the player's ball reaches the putting surface (the green), they are free to mark, pick up, clean, and replace the ball. Each time the player advances the ball toward the hole using a club, it is recorded as one stroke.
For longer holes, the player should aim for the fairway (a mown surface) from where they can play an approach shot into the green. There are numerous hazards, including bunkers (or sand traps), rough, trees, and water hazards. If the ball goes into the water, the player incurs a penalty shot and must drop the ball close to where it entered the water or play the shot again.
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Winners of the golf tournament
Golf was first introduced to the Olympic Games in 1900 in Paris, and it returned for the 1904 Games in St. Louis. However, after 1904, there was a 112-year hiatus before golf made its comeback in Rio 2016. The sport also featured in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, took place in 2021.
1900 Olympic Games, Paris
The first edition of the golf tournament at the Olympics featured a men's individual tournament. The gold medallist was Charles Sands from the USA, followed by Walter Rutherford from Great Britain with silver, and David Robertson, also from Great Britain, with bronze. In the women's tournament, Margaret Abbott from the USA won gold, Pauline Whittier from the USA won silver, and Daria Pratt, also from the USA, won bronze.
1904 Olympic Games, St. Louis
In 1904, the golf tournament at the Olympics consisted of a men's individual tournament and a men's team competition. George Lyon from Canada won gold in the individual tournament, H. Chandler Egan from the USA won silver, and Burt McKinnie from the USA and Francis Newton from the USA both won bronze. The team competition was won by the Western Golf Association, an American team that included H. Chandler Egan as its top player.
Rio 2016 Olympic Games
After a 112-year absence, golf returned to the Olympic programme in 2016. The gold medallist in the men's tournament was Justin Rose, representing Great Britain. In the women's tournament, Inbee Park from South Korea won gold, Lydia Ko from New Zealand won silver, and Shanshan Feng from China won bronze.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
The most recent edition of the Olympic golf tournament took place in 2021 in Tokyo. Xander Schauffele from the USA won the gold medal in the men's tournament. In the women's tournament, Nelly Korda from the USA won gold, Mone Inami from Japan won silver, and Lydia Ko from New Zealand won bronze.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, golf is in the Olympics. It was featured in the 1900 and 1904 Olympic Games but was then removed. It returned in 2016 at the Rio Games and has been in the Olympics since.
The Olympic golf competition is similar to events on the PGA and LPGA Tours. The competition is an individual stroke play tournament consisting of 72 holes played over four days. The golfer with the lowest cumulative score at the end of the four rounds wins the gold medal.
Qualification is based primarily on the Official World Golf Ranking (men) and Women's World Golf Rankings. The top 15 of each gender automatically qualifies, with a limit of four players from a given country.
