Golf Gold Medalist, Honor Over Money... Major Tournament Entry Granted [Paris Olympics]

1st Place Prize Money 'Zero' Honor 'First'
Entry to 4 Major Tournaments and The Players
World Ranking Points Awarded, Opportunity for LIV Members to Rise

"Honor and Special Benefits."

Second place Tommy Fleetwood, first place Scottie Scheffler, and third place Hideki Matsuyama (from left) are smiling brightly and taking a selfie holding their medals immediately after winning in the men's individual event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. [Giancourt (Paris) = EPA·Yonhap News]

The medalists for the men's golf event at the 2024 Paris Olympics have been decided. On the 4th (local time), at Le Golf National Olympic Course (Par 71) in Guyancourt near Paris, France, the men's individual competition concluded with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (USA) taking 1st place (19-under 265), Tommy Fleetwood (UK) in 2nd place (18-under 266), and Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) in 3rd place (17-under 267). Representing Korea, Kim Joo-hyung finished 8th (13-under 271), and An Byeong-hun tied for 24th (6-under 278).

Golf at the Olympics, organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Golf Federation (IGF), is about honor rather than money. Athletes can wear their national flag and earn the title of Olympic champion. Unfortunately, there is no prize money. Although the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) unusually announced it would award $50,000 (about 70 million KRW) to Paris Olympic gold medalists, this does not apply to golf.

The PGA Tour and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) grant "privileges" to gold medalists. They get opportunities to compete on major stages. They can participate in the four major tournaments next year: The Masters, The Open Championship, the US Open, and the PGA Championship. If they are PGA Tour members, they also qualify for The Players Championship, known as the "fifth major" with a total purse of $25 million, and early next year, the "champions' tournament," The Sentry Tournament of Champions.

But it doesn't end there. They can also earn world ranking points. Players who moved from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf can improve their rankings. LIV Golf players have not yet received world ranking points. Most top-ranked players, including No. 1 Scheffler, No. 2 Xander Schauffele (USA), and No. 3 Rory McIlroy (Ireland), participated in this Paris Olympics. It was also a great opportunity for lower-ranked players to boost their rankings.

Of course, medalists also receive prize money from their countries. The Korea Golf Association, focusing on supporting the Paris Olympic team, promised 300 million KRW for gold, 150 million KRW for silver, and 100 million KRW for bronze. The United States awards $37,500 (about 50 million KRW) for a gold medal.