Golf at the 2016 Olympics

It was the summer of 1904 in Missouri when golfers last competed at Olympic level. In 2009, the Olympic committee decided it was time the sport made its comeback on the biggest stage of all. This summer will see the top 60 golfers in the world battle to be crowned Olympic champion.

The top 15 players - men and women - will qualify, but with a limit of four players per country. The remaining spots go the highest-ranked players from countries that don’t already have two golfers qualified. There’s also a guarantee of one player from Brazil.

The new course

As with many venues in Rio, getting the new course ready on time has been a bit of a struggle. The newly-constructed course at Reserva de Marapendi in the Barra da Tijuca zone was meant to have been finished some time ago, but was only completed in November. Instead of having top PGA players testing it, the organisers only had time for a test match featuring nine Brazilian players this month.

Hanse Golf Course Design is behind the new course, and worked with World Golf Hall of Famer Amy Alcott on the project. It’s hoped the venue will host future golfing events.

Key design features include its sustainability, as it aims to preserve the environmentally-protected area. It also includes facilities for 15,000 spectators, two artificial lakes and a narrow layout to challenge even the best golfers. 

The format

With both men’s and women’s tournaments, the competition will be played over 72-holes as an individual stroke play tournament.

In the event of a tie for any of the first three positions, a three-hole playoff will determine the medal winners.
   

Who’s playing?

If the ratings were taken now, it would mean top players from the US like Jim Furyk and Patrick Reed could miss out, even though they’re in the top 15. This is because the US has four higher ranked players.

Those on the edge of the top 15 currently include big names like South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, Phil Mickelson and Paul Casey - though Oosthuizen should qualify as the highest-ranked South African player.

For Team GB, Justin Rose and Danny Willet are the highest ranking players, while Rory McIlroy will represent Ireland – despite some attempts to get him to play for Team GB.

For the women, South Korea has more than four players in the top 15 so will see the likes of In Gee Chun, Amy Yang, So Yeon Ryu, Shanshan Feng, Ha-Na Jang and Hyo-Joo Kim all battling for a place between now and the cut-off date of July 11.

Charley Hull and Catriona Matthew are the top ranked British players currently, with Holly Clyburn and Melissa Reid also in with a chance.

Things to watch out for…

Danny Willett’s rise

The young Brit’s recent good form has seen him pushing for a place on the flight to Brazil. While he currently sits just outside the places, his recent win at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic pushed him to 12^th in the world rankings. He could just make the cut if he keeps his form up.
   

Dangerous water features

Alongside the games, other interesting factors will include how golfers handle the artificial lakes. Not from a games point of view but from a health one. Concerns have been raised that the lake contains contaminated water, so expect players to avoid it like the plague.

Drug test

Drug tests aren’t something that have been common in golf – but as it enters the Olympic fold it’s something the players will have to get used to. They’ll have to make their whereabouts known and comply with the rules.