a A glance at the schedule for the upcoming Paris Olympics makes you wonder why there was so much fuss about golf’s return to the 2016 Games. There was, however; from players who couldn’t be bothered to travel to Rio to others who questioned whether a sport where a gold medal can never be the highlight was worth including. The power of negativity made people wonder whether golf’s Olympic alliance would last.
Eight years later, the momentum around Olympic golf has become unimaginable. The number of participants in the sport is skyrocketing. Golfers generally don’t know what a gold medal means in the context of their careers—in truth, only four living male and female players have won one—but they’ve learned to embrace the Olympics. After what seemed like a stress-free success at Royal Troon on Sunday, Xander Schauffele will land in Paris not only as the reigning champion but also with the Claret Jug in his carry-on. Schauffele is the first player to win the Open and the US PGA Championship in the same year since Rory McIlroy’s blissful summer of 2014. The American has his sights set on a career grand slam.
“Before I had a major, I always wanted to do it,” Schauffele said. “I’m one step closer and I still have a long way to go. But if you don’t see yourself doing it, you’re never going to do it.” Schauffele’s consistency is evident in his top-20 finishes in 11 straight majors; no golfer has accomplished such a streak in more than two decades.
The International Golf Federation, which pushed for and now manages golf’s return to the Olympics, must be rubbing its hands with glee. Schauffele provides it with public relations it couldn’t buy. His notoriety legitimizes something that was constantly undermined before Rio.
Schauffele is far from the only one causing intrigue in Paris. Scottie Scheffler’s disastrous putting performance in Troon probably didn’t get the attention it deserved. As Paul McGinley aptly put it: “If I were him, I’d be really worried about putting as badly as he did in a major championship.” It will be fascinating to see how the world No. 1 reacts in the colours of the US. Jon Rahm, who has not won an individual title since the 2023 Masters, still has a shot at glory.
At Le Golf National, the scene of the 2018 European Ryder Cup success, McIlroy will make his first appearance since missing the cut at the Open. His Irish team-mate is Shane Lowry, who cut a dejected figure after falling short at Troon. Whatever McIlroy and Lowry have to say about events in Ayrshire will help to raise the profile of Olympic golf ahead of the tournament. Such is Lowry’s popularity within Irish sport and his deep patriotism that it would come as no surprise if he carried his country’s flag at Friday’s opening ceremony.
“I’m playing good golf and I’d like to win a medal for Ireland,” Lowry said. “Of course I’d like it to be gold, but I’d probably take one of the three. So I’m really excited about it. I’m looking forward to the week. It’s going to be a great test on a great course. That medal won’t be around your neck until you finish on that 18th green, that’s for sure, on that spot.”
Lowry’s sentiment echoed that of Tokyo’s McIlroy, who insisted the four-time major winner had never tried so hard to finish third when he was part of a seven-man bronze medal play-off.
There is also the extraordinary – and extraordinarily complex – case of Joost Luiten. He successfully sued the Dutch Olympic Committee after they essentially decided that Luiten was incapable of winning a medal and therefore left his name off the golf team. The next problem was that the IGF had given Luiten’s spot to someone else before the lawsuit was finished. After much back and forth, Luiten has been put on standby. He remains furious about the situation, to say the least.
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“It’s a big mess,” Luiten said after missing the Open cut. “I don’t know what to do. I have a vacation booked, so I’m looking forward to that. I just said to my caddie: even if we get in, I don’t think he’s registered properly. You have to fill out so many forms. It’s a big hassle for one week, to be honest.
“The IGF screwed up. The IGF gave my place away, even though I told them I was going to court and asked if I could hold on to my place. They didn’t. They came back saying, ‘It’s not our fault, we’re just following the rules.’ They probably did, but when someone sends you an email saying, ‘hold my place, I’m taking someone to court,’ the right thing to do is not to just give it away. It’s a big mess. They’re all just making mistakes and nobody admits it.” It’s impossible not to imagine a Luiten protest on the 18th green of Le Golf National.
The women’s element is even more intriguing. Nelly Korda, who won gold in Tokyo, has won five straight LPGA Tour titles, and six of seven at the start of the year. Her most recent run included three missed cuts in a row – including in two majors – and a tie for 26th. Which Korda will emerge in France? Ireland again have strong medal hopes through Leona Maguire.
It was a year of decent rather than stunning major championships. The Olympics have the potential to provide the most compelling storylines of all. What once seemed like an inconvenience has the chance to gain powerful momentum.