Trevor Ng
Golf at the Olympic Games follows an individual stroke-play format, with both the men's and women's tournaments consisting of 72 holes played over four consecutive days. The player with the lowest score at the end of the four days wins. Unlike regular PGA Tour events, there is no cut in Olympic golf events, meaning that all 60 players in the men's and women's fields progress to the final two rounds. In the event of a tie, players will compete in a sudden-death playoff. The ranking system for Olympic golf is based on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), with the top 15 players in the world eligible to compete in the Olympics.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 120 (60 men and 60 women) |
| Qualification criteria | Top 15 world-ranked players, with a limit of four players from a given country. Remaining players are selected based on world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not have two or more players among the top 15. |
| Ranking system | Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) |
| Format | Individual stroke play |
| Number of rounds | Four 18-hole rounds |
| Days of play | Men's tournament: August 1–4; Women's tournament: August 7–10 |
| Venue | Le Golf National, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France |
| Par | 72 |
| Playoff | In case of a tie, a sudden-death playoff is used to determine the winner. Additional playoff holes may be played to determine silver and bronze medalists if necessary. |
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What You'll Learn
The Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR) system
To directly qualify for the Olympics, players must rank among the top 15 in the OWGR, with a maximum of four players from any given country. Beyond this, players are eligible based on 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 total of 59 athletes are reached, including one spot reserved for the host country and at least one athlete from each continent in both the men's and women's events.
The OGR system ensures that players from various countries and continents have a chance to compete for medals in the Olympic golf competition. The rankings are updated every Monday, and by Tuesday, the latest rankings are published on the IGF website.
For the 2024 Paris Olympics, the OGR as of June 17 for men and June 24 for women determined the quota places. The Olympic golf competition will feature 120 athletes, with 60 players each in the men's and women's events.
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Qualification criteria
Qualification for Olympic golf is based on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). The ranking system awards points to players based on where they finish in their tournaments. The higher they finish and the tougher the competition, the more points they earn. The rankings are updated every Monday, with the International Golf Federation (IGF) publishing the rankings on Tuesdays.
The Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR) is calculated based on the OWGR, with the top 15 individuals automatically qualifying for the Olympics. There is a maximum of four athletes per National Olympic Committee (NOC) in this initial qualification round.
Following the qualification of the top 15, athletes ranked 16th onwards will be selected and allocated quota places, with a maximum of two athletes per NOC, including those within the top 15, until a field of 60 athletes is reached.
The qualification period for Olympic golf selection ends on 17 June for men and 24 June for women. The IGF will publish the final OGR on 18 June for men and 25 June for women. If a NOC does not confirm its quota, the spot will be reallocated to the highest-ranked eligible athlete who has not already qualified, maintaining the maximum quota per NOC.
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Tournament structure
The Olympic golf competition features separate men's and women's tournaments, with 60 players in each field. The qualification process for the Olympics follows the system of Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR), which is based on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). The top 15 players in the world rankings are eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Following that, players are eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two players from each country that does not have two or more players among the top 15. This process ensures that players from various countries have a chance to compete. Additionally, each of the five continents of the Olympic Movement is guaranteed at least one athlete in each of the men's and women's events.
The Olympic golf tournaments are played over four days of stroke play, with no cut. This means that all 60 players in each field progress to the final two rounds, playing a total of 72 holes. The players' scores are cumulative across each round, and they are positioned on the leaderboard based on their score relative to par. The player with the lowest score at the end of the four days wins the gold medal.
In the event of a tie, a sudden-death playoff is used to determine the winner, as well as the silver and bronze medalists if necessary. This involves the tied players competing in additional playoff holes until a champion is crowned. This process ensures that ties are broken to determine the final standings on the leaderboard.
The 2024 Olympic Golf competition will be held at Le Golf National, located outside Paris in Guyancourt, France. The course is known for hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup and will showcase both the men's and women's events, with the men's tournament taking place from August 1 to 4 and the women's tournament following from August 7 to 10.
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Scoring and playoffs
Scoring in Olympic golf is based on an individual stroke-play format, with players positioned on the leaderboard according to their score relative to par. The winner is the player who records the fewest total strokes to complete 72 holes. Both the men's and women's tournaments consist of four 18-hole rounds, with scores cumulative across each round. Unlike regular PGA Tour events, there is no cut, and all 60 players in the men's and women's fields progress to the final two rounds.
In the event of a tie after the four rounds, a sudden-death playoff is used to determine the winner. If two or more players remain tied after the first playoff hole, a second playoff hole will be contested, and so on, until a champion is decided. This playoff format is also used to determine silver and/or bronze medalists if necessary. For example, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, seven players were tied for third place after the final round. They competed in a four-hole playoff, with the winner claiming the bronze medal.
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Course and venue
The 2024 Olympic golf competition will be held at Le Golf National, located in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, approximately 26 km outside Paris near Versailles. The course is most notable for hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup, in which the Europeans defeated the U.S. team. It will be used for both the men's and women's Olympic events. Le Golf National, which plays as a par 72 and stretches to 6,649 yards from the black tees, was renovated in 2016. Owned and managed by the French Golf Federation, it was designed by architects Hubert Chesneau and Robert Von Hagge, in collaboration with Pierre Thevenin, and opened in 1991 as a national training facility and the permanent home for the annual French Open tournament.
The Olympic Games will head to Los Angeles, California, in 2028, where Riviera Country Club will be the host venue. The famed course is the annual home to what is known as the Genesis Invitational, a PGA Tour event hosted by Tiger Woods. Riviera was the site of the 1995 PGA Championship and will showcase the 2026 U.S. Women's Open and the 2031 U.S. Open.
The qualification process for the Olympics follows the system of Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR). In the 2024 Paris Olympics, golf will have 120 athletes competing, split equally between 60 men and 60 women. The ranking system relies on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), which are usually updated every week based on how players perform in tournaments across the globe. To directly qualify for the Olympic golf competition, players need to rank among the top 15 in the OWGR. Plus, each country can have up to four players if they're in the top 15. After that, countries can have up to two more spots based on their world rankings to make up 60 players. This setup ensures that players from across the world get a chance to compete for the gold medal in the Olympic games. It's important to note that there is also a rule that guarantees at least one player from each continent will get to play in both the men's and women's competitions.
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Frequently asked questions
The Olympic Golf format sees each tournament played over four days of stroke play, with no cut. Both the men's and women's tournaments follow the same format.
The qualification process follows the system of Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR), which is based on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). To directly qualify, 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.
There are 60 players in each of the men's and women's fields, for a total of 120 athletes competing in the golf competition.
If two or more players finish with the same score after four rounds, those players will compete in a sudden-death playoff. If the first playoff hole results in another tie, a second playoff hole will be contested, and so on, until a winner is determined.
