Nina Caldwell
Golf was first featured in the 1900 Summer Olympics and again in 1904, but then the sport was removed. After a 112-year hiatus, golf returned to the Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, and has been a part of the Games ever since. The Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) are calculated by the International Golf Federation (IGF) using the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for men and the Women's World Golf Rankings. The top 15 golfers of each gender automatically qualify, with a maximum of four from each country. The host country is guaranteed one spot for a male golfer and one for a female golfer. The Olympic golf 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.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Years featured in the Olympics | 1900, 1904, 2016, 2020, 2024 |
| Governing body | International Golf Federation (IGF) |
| Ranking system | Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) |
| Qualifying criteria | Top 15 in Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) qualify automatically, with a limit of 4 per country. The highest-ranked players from countries that have not qualified two players yet also qualify until a field of 59 or 60 athletes is reached. |
| Number of golfers | 98 golfers have competed in Olympic golf throughout history |
| Number of holes | 72 |
| Number of rounds | 4 |
| Number of days | 4 |
| Format | Individual stroke play |
| Playoff | Sudden death |
| Maximum number of clubs in bag | 14 |
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What You'll Learn
Olympic golf rankings
Golf was first featured in the Summer Olympic Games in 1900 and again in 1904. However, after a dispute between representatives of England and Scotland in 1908, the sport was boycotted by British golfers, and it disappeared from the Olympic programme for over a century. Golf finally returned to the Olympics in 2016, with the Rio Games hosting the first tournament since 1904.
The International Golf Federation (IGF) is the governing body for golf at the Olympic Games. The IGF utilises the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to create the Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) and determine eligibility. The top 15 players in the world rankings of each gender are eligible for the Olympics, with a maximum of four golfers from a single country.
After the top 15, eligibility is 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. This continues until 59 athletes are reached, with the final spot reserved for the host country. Each continent is guaranteed at least one athlete in each of the women's and men's events. If they have not qualified automatically, the spots will go to the highest-ranked athletes from those continents.
The Olympic Golf Rankings are calculated every Monday, following the completion of the previous week's tournaments worldwide. The rankings are updated on the IGF website every Tuesday. Points are awarded based on final positions in each event, with stronger fields earning more points. These points accumulate over a two-year "rolling" period, and the OGR is ordered according to the average points accumulated in that time frame.
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Qualification criteria
Qualification for Olympic golf is centred around the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for men and the Women's World Golf Ranking. The top 15 golfers of each gender automatically qualify for the Olympics, with a maximum of four players from any given country.
After that, players are chosen 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. This continues until a field of 59 or 60 athletes is reached, including continental places.
Each of the five continents of the Olympic Movement (Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania) are guaranteed at least one athlete in each of the women's and men's events, respectively. If they have not automatically qualified, the continental places will be allocated to the highest-ranked athlete(s) on the Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) from the continent(s) without representation.
The OGR is calculated every Monday following the completion of the previous week's tournaments from around the world and is updated on the IGF website every Tuesday. Ranking points for each player accumulate over a two-year "rolling" period. The OGR is ordered according to the average points that athletes manage to accumulate over this two-year period.
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Rules and regulations
Golf was first recognised as a sport in the Olympic Games in 1900 and was also contested in 1904. However, after a 112-year hiatus, it made a comeback in 2016 and has been a part of the Olympic Games ever since.
The rules of golf at the Olympics are similar to those at the recreational level and major championships. The competition is an individual stroke-play tournament, with golfers playing over 72 holes across four days. The winner is the golfer with 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.
The Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) are calculated every Monday after the completion of the previous week's tournaments and are updated on the International Golf Federation (IGF) website every Tuesday. The OGR is a system that awards points to athletes based on their final positions in each event, with performances in events with stronger fields earning more points. Ranking points accumulate over a two-year "rolling" period, and the OGR is ordered according to the average points accumulated. The top 15 world-ranked players are eligible for the Olympics, with a maximum of four players from a given country. Following that, players are selected 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. This continues until a field of 60 players is reached. The host country is guaranteed one spot, and each of the five Olympic continents is guaranteed at least one athlete in each of the women's and men's events.
Some basic rules of golf include:
- Players start each hole from the tee box and may use a tee to elevate the ball for the first shot.
- For subsequent shots, the ball must be played as it lies on the course.
- Once the ball reaches the putting surface, the player can mark, pick up, clean, and replace it.
- Advancing the ball toward the hole with a club counts as one stroke.
- Players can only use their clubs to contact the ball.
- If the ball goes out of bounds or into a water hazard, the player incurs a penalty.
- Players can carry a maximum of 14 golf clubs in their bag during a round and can swap them out between rounds or if a club is damaged through no fault of their own.
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History in the Olympics
Golf has had a sporadic history in the Olympics. It first featured in the Summer Olympic Games programme in 1900 and was also contested at the 1904 Olympics. However, it was then removed as a competition, with a planned tournament in 1908 cancelled due to a dispute between representatives of England and Scotland over the format. Two tournaments planned for 1920 were also cancelled due to a lack of entries.
After a 112-year hiatus, golf returned to the Olympics in 2016, with a new course built in Rio de Janeiro specifically for the Games. The sport was also contested at the 2020 Tokyo Games and the 2024 Paris Games, and will feature at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
In its modern incarnation, Olympic golf competitions have consisted of men's and women's individual stroke play. A new mixed team event will be added for the 2028 Games.
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Venues and dates
Golf was first featured in the Summer Olympics in 1900 and was also played in the 1904 Games. However, it was then removed from the Olympic programme until 2016, when it returned for the Rio Games. Golf was also included in the 2020 Tokyo Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it will feature in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris hosted golf tournaments for men and women from 1 to 10 August at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France. Le Golf National is known for its links-style bunkers and undulating fairways, with water on numerous holes. It was the venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup, in which Europe defeated the US team.
The men's tournament took place from 1 to 4 August, with the women's tournament following from 7 to 10 August. Both tournaments featured 60 players and were played over four days, with 72 holes in total. The course played to a par of 71 for men and 72 for women.
The US team boasted the most accomplished group of golfers, with seven players across the men's and women's fields, all ranked among the top 10 in the world for their gender. The men's squad was led by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who won gold, and the women's team by World No. 1 and reigning gold medallist Nelly Korda.
Frequently asked questions
Golf first featured in the Summer Olympic Games in 1900 and was also contested in 1904. It then took a 112-year hiatus before returning in 2016.
Qualification is based primarily on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for men and the Women's World Golf Rankings. The top 15 of each gender automatically qualify, with a limit of four per country. Then, the highest-ranked players from countries that have not yet qualified two players are selected until a field of 60 is reached.
The Olympic golf competition is an individual stroke play tournament consisting of 72 holes played over four days. The golfer with the lowest cumulative score after the four rounds wins the gold medal. The second- and third-place finishers receive silver and bronze medals.
Players start each hole from the tee box and may elevate the ball off the ground using a tee for this first shot only. For subsequent shots, the ball must be played as it lies on the course. 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. Players may carry a maximum of 14 golf clubs in their bag during a round.
The 2024 Olympic Golf competition took place at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, just outside of Paris, France.
