Since its reintroduction at Rio 2016, golf is now in its third Olympic cycle, and the world's best golfers are starting to see a gold medal as comparable to major championship victories. Although Australia has yet to medal in Olympic golf, the country's chances have never been higher with four Aussie players ranked within the top 40.
History in the Making
Paris will witness history as Minjee Lee becomes the first Australian golfer to compete in three Olympic Games. She will be joined by her younger brother, Min Woo Lee, making them the 16th brother-sister duo to represent Australia in the same sport at the same Games. Hannah Green, tied for fifth at Tokyo 2020, returns as the world No.7 player, while former world No.1 Jason Day makes his Olympic debut.
Ones to Watch
Hannah Green stands as Australia's strongest medal hope in Paris. She was close to medaling in Tokyo, finishing just two shots short of a playoff for bronze. The 27-year-old enters Paris with two LPGA Tour wins this season and a career-high world ranking. Keep an eye on this smiling assassin.
The only LPGA player with more wins than Hannah this season is defending Olympic champion, American Nelly Korda. Korda has secured six victories this season, including a record-tying five straight wins. Despite a recent slump, she remains a favorite in the women's competition. Scottie Scheffler, another American, boasts six wins this season, including The Masters at Augusta National, suggesting a potential American gold medal sweep in Paris.
Format
Olympic golf will feature four rounds of stroke play at Le Golf National. The top 60 qualifiers from both the men's and women's official world rankings, selected by their countries, will play all four rounds with no cut. The three best scores at the end of four rounds will be awarded Olympic medals, with sudden-death playoffs used in case of ties. The men's competition runs from Thursday, 1 August to Sunday, 4 August, followed by the women's competition from Wednesday, 7 August to Saturday, 10 August.
The Course
Le Golf National’s L’Albatros Course, located nearly an hour from Paris, is built on unremarkable clay terrain. There is some dispute over its design, initially crafted by Hubert Chesneau but later altered by consultant Robert van Hagge. Significant effort went into shaping the course, moving 1.5 million cubic meters of dirt due to the flatness of the terrain.
The federation aimed for a TPC-style course, resulting in features reminiscent of Florida’s Sawgrass, with nine holes having water hazards, and a touch of Ireland's links feel. While not the best course in France, it accommodates up to 80,000 spectators, and its 18th hole offers a spectacular amphitheater. The course, playing at 6559 meters, par-71, for the men's competition, hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup and 29 editions of the Open de France on the DP World Tour since opening in 1990.
