Your Guide To Golf At The 2024 Paris Olympics

Golf is returning to the Olympics for the third time since its reinstatement at Rio 2016 following a 112-year hiatus. In Paris, the men’s golf competition will run from August 1st to 4th, while the women’s competition will run from August 7th to the 10th. 120 players — 60 men and 60 women — will represent 32 countries during the games.

On the U.S. team, Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda are returning as defending champions after winning gold at the 2020 Olympics. Four of India’s top golfers will also be representing the country at the games, which will be a first for both players on the men’s team. 

Meet the U.S. men’s team 

The U.S. men’s golf team features first-time Olympian Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark, along with Colin Morikawa who came fourth place at the 2020 Olympics. More recently Morikawa won his first major title at the 2023 U.S. Open. Also joining the team is Xander Schauffele, a 2020 Olympic gold medalist. In preparation for both the 2024 PGA Championship (which he also won) and the Paris Olympics, Schauffele used speed training to make his swing faster, so he hit the ball further. Last year, Schauffele was 34th in ball speed on the PGA Tour. After speed training, he’s now 10th. 

Schauffele also partially credits his favourite club, Vokey’s SM6 wedge, for his improved performance. It’s a model he’s been using for years as it allows for precise distance and trajectory control. Electric golf carts also play a key role in improving golf games for players across all skill levels. In fact, around two-thirds of 25.6 million golfers in the U.S. use golf carts. They allow players to move around the course quickly without having to walk, which conserves physical and mental energy that can be put into the game. 

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U.S. women’s team 

The U.S. women's team includes Rose Zhang, Nelly Korda, and Lilia Vu. Currently, Vu ranks as the world’s No. 2 golfer, while Zhang ranks at No. 9. As for Korda, she won the gold medal in women's golf at the 2020 Olympic Games. She’s also had a strong season so far this year as she’s achieved six impressive wins across seven tournaments between March to May.

India’s top golfers 

Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shubhankar Sharm will represent India in the men’s competition — it’ll be both players' first time at the Olympics. 11-time Asian Tour winner and 2006 Asian Games silver medal winner, Bhullar is currently No. 54 in the Olympic Golf Ranking list. Sharma is at No. 48 and holds the record of the youngest Indian to win on the European Tour after taking the 2017 tri-sanctioned Joburg Open title at just 21 years old. “I will draw on my experience to meet the expectations of the nation in the Olympics. Needless to say, I will put my best foot forward”, he said.

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On the women’s team, Aditi Ashok is an Asian Games silver medalist, who just missed out on a medal at the 2020 Olympics (she came in a respectable fourth place overall). Diksha Dagar will also join Ashok on the women’s team for her second Olympic appearance. The 23-year-old, who is deaf, holds a Deaflympics gold medal. She’ll be the first-ever golfer to participate in both the Olympics and the Deaflympics (the Olympics for those with hearing impairments).

Notably, World Athletics, an international athletics governing body, will be awarding prize money ($50,000 U.S. dollars) to all gold winners, which is a first in Olympic history. However, this prize money won’t extend to golfers, who’ll only be financially rewarded if their country’s Olympic committee chooses to do so.​