Olympics 2024: Where does golf competition rank among golf's most prestigious events?
26/07/2024 12:30
The 2024 Paris Olympics kicks off on Friday, and golf is once again a significant part of the quadrennial competition.
The 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris are here, with the Opening Ceremonies kicking off Friday evening from the City of Light.
Almost 11,000 athletes will compete in 329 events across 32 sports in France, including two individual stroke play events for some of the world's best male and female golfers.
Both golf competitions will take place at Le Golf National, the site of the 2018 Ryder Cup. The Europeans dominated that year, defeating the Americans 17.5-to-10.5. It also marked Tiger Woods' most recent appearance in the biennial Competition.
Nevertheless, like the Ryder Cup, the Olympics are all about national pride.
This year, for the Americans, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, and Wyndham Clark will represent the stars and stripes—none of whom made the Ryder Cup team in 2018.
Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang, and Lilia Vu will do so on the women's side.
"Playing for your country is always extremely exciting, and it will be pretty surreal doing it on the Olympic stage," Scheffler said recently.
"It's also good bragging rights for people that tell me golf is not a sport—I can say it's an Olympic sport. I'm just excited to go there and experience the Olympics, see some other sports, go to the village, see other athletes, and just be part of it all. It should be a fun, special week."
But golf fans and pundits alike have struggled to put a label on where the Olympics rank among golf's most prestigious events. Are they on the same plane as a major championship? A PGA Tour event? Or do they draw similarities to the President's Cup or Ryder Cup? Then again, this is not a team event—although the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 is reportedly interested in creating a team competition for the games.
To answer these questions, I believe the Olympics fall into their own category. They are one step below the four majors but certainly a step above a regular PGA Tour victory—including Signature Events. The Olympics serve a special purpose and should also be a significant highlight of a player's resume.
For instance, Schauffele now has two majors, after his impressive triumphs at Valhalla and Royal Troon this year. But he also has a gold medal to his name. That accomplishment should be included when discussing Schauffele's legacy: he has two majors and a gold medal—something only one other man, Justin Rose, can claim on the men's side.
Should Schauffele win again at Le Golf National, he will be known as the first player to win a pair of golds. He won the Men's Olympic Golf Competition at the 2020 Olympics—held in 2021 in Tokyo due to the pandemic. That would be something to note.
A gold medal would also finalize an incredible year for Schauffele and perhaps wrap up Player of the Year honors on the PGA Tour despite Scheffler's astonishing season.
Scheffler won six times on tour in 2024, including at Augusta National and TPC Sawgrass. Four other Signature Event trophies sit on his mantle at home, a testament to how well he has played. But Schauffele has two majors, and should he go on to win the gold among an elite 60-player field, the Player of the Year discussion becomes much more interesting and perhaps tips in Schauffele's favor.
All that aside, the Olympic Golf Competition should have a special place in the sport. Fans should recognize that, too, but certainly, some will disagree.
What do you think? Where do you label the Olympics?
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
