Four Players Including Schauffele Lead U.S. Entries; DeChambeau Withdraws
South Korea's Kim Joo-hyung 26th, An Byeong-hun 27th Join Paris
LIV Golf Members Rahm, Puig, Niemann Among Competitors
The male golfers who will compete in the golf event at the Paris Olympics this August have been decided amid fierce competition.
On the 17th (local time), 60 players from 32 countries were selected based on the world rankings for the men's division. The tournament will be held over four days starting August 1 at Le Golf National Golf Course (par 71, 7,249 yards) near Paris, France. The battleground is the venue where the Open de France, part of the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour), has been held since 1991. In 2018, the Ryder Cup, a golf competition between the United States and Europe, was held there. The format is a 4-round, 72-hole stroke play.
This marks the third consecutive Olympic appearance following Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Based on world rankings, the top two players from each country will represent their nation at the Olympics. If a country has two or more players ranked within the top 15, up to four players can participate. The host country, France, is guaranteed at least one spot. Bryson DeChambeau (USA), who won his third major tournament of the year, the 124th Open de France last week, rose from 38th to 10th in the world rankings but failed to qualify as he was not among the top four from his country.
After intense competition, South Korea's Kim Joo-hyung and An Byeong-hun earned the right to wear the Taeguk mark. Kim is ranked 26th in the world, and An is 27th. They hold the first and second positions among Korean players. This will be Kim Joo-hyung's first Olympic appearance. He has the opportunity to receive military service benefits as he has not yet fulfilled his military duty. Winning a bronze medal or higher at the Olympics allows substitution of military service with basic military training. Kim Joo-hyung perfectly rehearsed for the Olympics by finishing tied for 6th at the DP World Tour Kazoo Open de France held last September at the Olympic battleground.
An Byeong-hun secured his second Olympic opportunity following the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. An's parents, the 'table tennis couple' An Jae-hyung and Jiao Zhimin, are both Olympic table tennis medalists. If their son wins a medal, it will create a two-generation Olympic family. Of course, if either player declines to participate or is unable to compete due to injury, the Olympic spot for Paris will be passed to lower-ranked players such as Im Sung-jae (34th) or Kim Si-woo (46th).
The United States will send a total of four athletes, the most of any country, including Scottie Scheffler, to the Paris Olympics.
The country sending the most players to the Paris Olympics is the United States. The U.S. team includes world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 3 Xander Schauffele, No. 5 Wyndham Clark, and No. 7 Collin Morikawa. Scheffler has demonstrated absolute dominance with five wins in 14 tournaments this year. Schauffele is the defending champion who won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and is currently on the rise after winning the PGA Championship, the second major tournament, last month.
Ireland's strength is also formidable, led by world No. 2 Rory McIlroy. Veteran Shane Lowry (33rd) provides support. Sweden secured spots for Ludvig ?berg (4th) and Alex Noren (55th). Norway's representatives are Viktor Hovland (6th) and Kristoffer Ventura (281st). Spain will be represented by LIV Golf members Jon Rahm (9th) and David Puig (113th). The host country France's representatives are Matthieu Pavon (20th) and Victor Perez (78th).
Australia secured tickets for Jason Day (24th) and Minwoo Lee (36th). Adam Scott (58th), the 2013 Masters champion, did not qualify. Japan will be represented by Hideki Matsuyama (12th) and Keita Nakajima (83rd). England's Olympic members are Tommy Fleetwood (13th) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (18th). Joaqu?n Niemann (Chile, 99th), who won two tournaments this year on the LIV Golf tour, will also make an appearance.
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