Miles Bennett
Golf has been included in the Olympic Games on several occasions, but its history as an Olympic sport has been sporadic. The sport was first introduced at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and featured again in the 1904 Games in St. Louis. However, after the 1904 Olympics, golf took a long hiatus from the Olympic programme, only returning in 2016 for the Rio Games. Since its reinstatement, golf has featured in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) and will be included in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, marking its fifth appearance as an Olympic sport.
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What You'll Learn
Golf's Olympic history
Golf has a long, yet sporadic history with the Olympics. The sport was first introduced in the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, with 22 golfers competing. Four years later, the 1904 Games in St. Louis, Missouri, featured a larger tournament of 77 golfers. However, after the 1904 Olympics, golf would be absent from the Olympic stage for over a century.
The sport made its official return to the Olympics in 2016, with the Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 2016 edition saw Justin Rose of Great Britain and Inbee Park emerge as the men's and women's gold medalists, respectively. Golf continued its Olympic run at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), with Xander Schauffele of the United States and Nelly Korda taking the gold medals.
The Olympic golf competition follows a similar format to PGA and LPGA Tours, featuring individual stroke play. The competition consists of 72 holes played over four days, with the golfer accumulating the lowest cumulative score winning the gold medal. The second- and third-place finishers receive silver and bronze medals, respectively.
In 2025, it was announced that a new mixed team event would be introduced for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This event will feature 16 pairs drawn from the golfers who have qualified for the individual tournaments. The format will include alternate shot and four-ball rounds, adding a new dimension to Olympic golf.
With its inclusion in the 2024 Paris Olympics, golf will be making its fifth appearance in the modern Olympic Games, showcasing its growing global appeal and competitive depth.
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Format of the competition
Golf was first included in the Olympic Games during the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, and then again in the 1904 Games in St. Louis. However, it was discontinued after that and didn't make a reappearance for 112 years until the 2016 Games in Rio. It has since been featured in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and will be a part of the 2024 Games in Paris.
Golf at the Olympics has featured a men's and women's individual tournament, with each golfer playing 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, while the second and third-place finishers receive silver and bronze medals, respectively.
The 1904 Games featured the first and only team golf competition at the Olympics, with teams from various regional golf associations within the United States. This team format is set to make a return at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, with a mixed team event consisting of 16 pairs drawn from those who have qualified for the individual tournaments. The teams will compete in alternate shot and four-ball rounds.
Qualification for the Olympic golf tournament is based primarily on the Official World Golf Ranking for men and the Women's World Golf Rankings. The top 15 of each gender automatically qualify, with a limit of four per country, after which the highest-ranked players from countries that have not yet qualified two players are selected.
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Notable winners
Golf was first introduced as an Olympic sport during the second edition of the modern Games in Paris in 1900. It returned for the 1904 Games in St. Louis, but then took a 112-year hiatus before being included again in the 2016 Rio Olympics. The 1904 Games also featured the first (and only) team golf competition at the Olympics, with the Western Golf Association, featuring H. Chandler Egan as its top player, winning the gold medal. American Charles Sands won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in men's golf in 1900, winning by one stroke over Great Britain's Walter Rutherford.
Canada's George Lyon was the winner of the second-ever men's individual Olympic golf tournament in 1904. Notably, Lyon had only been practising golf for eight years and had previously competed in baseball, tennis, and cricket. He defeated 23-year-old American H. Chandler Egan in the final match, which, for the first and only time at the Olympics, concluded with a match-play format.
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Justin Rose of Great Britain won the gold medal in the men's tournament. In the women's tournament, American Nelly Korda won the gold medal, finishing one stroke ahead of New Zealand's Lydia Ko and Japan's Mone Inami. Ko became the first person to win a medal in golf at back-to-back Olympic Games.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), American Xander Schauffele won the gold medal in the men's tournament, with a score of 266 (18-under par). In the women's tournament, Lydia Ko of New Zealand took the gold, with Nelly Korda of the United States winning silver, and India's Aditi Ashok winning the bronze medal.
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Boycotts and withdrawals
Golf was first introduced to the Olympic Games in 1900, and featured again in 1904. However, it was then absent from the Olympics for 112 years, returning in 2016.
The 1904 Olympics in St. Louis included a men's team event, but no women's event. This tournament was particularly notable due to a dispute between representatives of England and Scotland over the format, which led to British golfers boycotting the event. The only remaining entrant was 1904 gold medallist George Lyon of Canada, who refused the gold medal when it was offered to him by default.
Golf's return to the Olympics in 2016 was marred by the withdrawals of several top male golfers, including Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, and Rory McIlroy. Many of these withdrawals were due to health concerns surrounding the Zika virus epidemic in Brazil. This sparked fears that golf's return to the Olympics may be short-lived, and that the field of competitors was weaker than it could have been.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics also saw several notable withdrawals, including Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Louis Oosthuizen, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, and Patrick Cantlay. This pattern of withdrawals has contributed to the complicated relationship between golf and the Olympics, which has encompassed the entire history of the sport at the international event.
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Golf's future in the Olympics
Golf has only been featured a handful of times in the Olympics, with a long hiatus between its appearances. The sport was first introduced in 1900 and then featured again in 1904. After this, it took a break from the Olympics for 112 years, returning in 2016.
The 1904 Games were particularly notable as they featured the first and only team golf competition. However, rather than golfers teaming up by nation, the competition featured teams from various regional golf associations across the United States.
Golf's return to the Olympics in 2016 was highly anticipated, with the sport gaining traction and popularity worldwide. The 2016 Games in Rio saw Justin Rose of Great Britain take gold, becoming the first Olympic golf champion in over a century. The United States has been the most successful nation in Olympic golf, with 13 total medals, including five golds.
The Olympic golf competition format has typically mirrored the PGA and LPGA Tours, with individual stroke play over 72 holes. However, there have been calls for a more exciting format, such as match play, which could make the sport more engaging for viewers who are not familiar with traditional golf rules.
Looking ahead, golf is set to feature again in the 2024 Paris Olympics, marking its fifth appearance in the Games. There are also proposals for a mixed team event at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, with a format consisting of alternate shot and four-ball rounds. This proposal has been formally submitted and is awaiting a decision by the IOC.
Despite some criticisms and the challenge of fitting into the worldwide professional golf schedule, golf has established its place in the Olympics, attracting top golfers and engaging fans globally. With its global appeal and rich history, golf is poised to continue its Olympic journey, captivating audiences and creating memorable moments in the years to come.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, golf has been a part of the Olympics in 1900, 1904, 2016, 2020/2021, and 2024.
Golf was absent from the Olympics for 112 years.
Golf was reintroduced to the Olympics in 2016.
Olympic golf competitions have consisted of men's and women's individual stroke play.
