Notable athletes who have asked to withdraw from the 2024 Olympics include Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott, and Tyrrell Hatton, Golf Digest has learned. The news was initially reported by ElPeriodiGolf, a Spanish publication.
Following a 112-year break from the Olympics, the competition was brought back to life in 2016, marking the sport’s third appearance at the Summer Games. Fears of the Zika virus, however, forced a number of big names to withdraw from the 2016 Brazil Games. Similarly, attendance at the COVID-19-delayed 2021 Olympics in Tokyo improved, but some of the biggest names in the sport chose not to compete. Even though more people are anticipated to enter the Paris competition this summer, not everyone is interested in competing.
According to internal IGF documents, Koepka, the current PGA champion and five-time major winner, has requested that his name be removed from consideration by the International Golf Federation. The top four players in the Official World Golf Ranking are automatically selected, so Koepka would have had a difficult time making the US squad. Additionally, because LIV Golf has not obtained OWGR accreditation, Koepka is now ranked No. 31 in the world. Hatton, who recently joined LIV Golf, would be eligible to represent England in the Olympics. But as the year goes on, it’s likely that his No. 16 OWGR ranking will fall if he performs poorly in the major championships.
It is not shocking that Scott has withdrawn. The Australian had previously expressed his distaste for golf’s inclusion in the Olympics, calling it a “exhibition” and saying that amateurs should be allowed to compete instead. He did not play in the 2021 or 2016 games.
Thomas Pieters and Louis Oosthuizen of LIV Golf are among the other players who have requested to opt out. The only other player who has asked to be removed from consideration is Marcel Siem of Germany.
According to internal documents, the IGF has no intention of disclosing which players have chosen to withdraw. Nevertheless, as of this writing, no female players had made a formal request to withdraw.
Golfers began earning points in an official Olympics Ranking, which essentially mirrored the men’s and women’s World Ranking, in July 2022 in order to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. Held from August 1-4 at Le Golf National, home of the 2018 Ryder Cup, the opening round of the 72-hole men’s Olympic competition gets underway at the Albatros course. Before the closing ceremony on August 11, three days after the men’s event concludes, on August 7–10, the women’s tournament gets underway. There are 60 players in total, with a minimum of one spot reserved for a golfer from the host nation
(France) if they don’t meet the other requirements. All golfers ranked in the top 15 qualifying, no nation may field more than four competitors (up to the maximum four golfers per country). Golfers ranked 16th and below will qualify after the top 15, with no more than two players from a single nation allowed to compete.
Leave a Reply