Format & Qualification System

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Both the format and qualification system for the golf competition at the Rio2016 Olympic Games have to be ratified by the IOC Executive Board.  The IGF presented the following format and qualification system to the IOC Session in Copenhagen when it was elected onto the Olympic Programme.

Format

The IGF format proposed to the IOC of a 72-hole individual stroke play competition for both men and women reflecting leading players’ opinion of the fairest and best way to identify an Olympic champion. In the event of a tie for either first, second or third place, a three-hole playoff will determine the medal winner(s).

Qualification system

The IOC has restricted the IGF to an Olympic field of 60 players for each of the men’s and women’s competition. The IGF will utilise the official world golf rankings to create the Olympic golf rankings as a method of determining eligibility. The top-15 world-ranked players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top-15, players will be eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top-15.