Olympic Games Press Releases

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (14 April 2022) THE INTERNATIONAL GOLF FEDERATION (IGF) HAS DECIDED TO HAND OVER ITS ENTIRE ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM FOR INDEPENDENT EXPERT MANAGEMENT BY THE INTERNATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (ITA). TO THIS END, THE TWO ORGANISATIONS HAVE ENTERED INTO A COOPERATION PARTNERSHIP WITH AN INITIAL CONTRACT UNTIL 2025.

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (February 3, 2022) – Golf will definitely be returning to the sports programme of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28), as determined by the 139th Session of the International Olympic Committee held in Beijing, China.   Golf’s inclusion as one of 28 sports approved for the initial programme followed the recommendations by the Olympic Programme Commission and the IOC Executive Board following the success of golf at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

On a day of multiple twists and turns, it was the resiliency of American Nelly Korda that ultimately secured her place in history as an Olympic gold medalist. The 23-year-old shot a closing 2-under par 69 Saturday on Kasumigaseki Country Club’s East Course for a 17-under 267 total and one-stroke victory over silver medalist Mone Inami of Japan and bronze medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who finished second in the 2016 Rio Olympics and is now Olympic women’s golf’s first repeat medalist.

India’s Aditi Ashok agonisingly missed an historic medal in women’s golf at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Saturday as she was celebrated at home with tributes led by the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind. The 23-year-old Aditi fought bravely throughout the final round at Kasumigaseki Country Club, shooting a closing 3-under 68 to finish one shot shy of a podium finish with her 15-under 269 aggregate.

China’s Shanshan Feng fell a few shots shy of winning an Olympic medal in golf for her country after signing off with a 4-under 67 in the women’s competition on Saturday. The 10-time LPGA Tour winner, who won the bronze in Rio 2016, finished solo eighth on 11-under 273 at Kasumigaseki Country Club, some five strokes behind bronze medallist Lydia Ko of New Zealand who lost in a playoff to Japan’s Mone Inami after both tied on 16-under.

All week, Japan’s Mone Inami simply headed out to the first tee to “have fun” in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 women’s golf competition. Come Saturday, the 22-year-old rising star gets a chance to win a first ever medal in the sport for host nation Japan at Kasumigaseki Country Club, some six days after Hideki Matsumaya came agonisingly close to a bronze medal in the men’s competition.

So, the long and short of the women’s Olympic golf competition heading into Saturday’s final round at Kasumigaseki Country Club is this: American Nelly Korda and Aditi Ashok of India. It’s the difference between the two 23-year-olds, leader Korda at 15-under par 198 and second-place Ashok at 12-under 201, that makes this so fascinating.

In Sanskrit, her given name means “Boundless” and Aditi Ashok has certainly lived up to her calling by continuing to produce some phenomenal golf to be on the cusp of an historic medal for India at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The 23-year-old Aditi was once again poised and polished in grinding out a 3-under 68 in the third round of the women’s golf competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club for solo second place on 12-under 201 and three back of leader and World No. 1, Nelly Korda of the United States.

China’s Xiyu Lin cut a frustrated figure at Tokyo 2020 women’s golf competition following Friday’s third round, but believes she is due for a bucket of birdies in her bid for an Olympic Games medal. The 25-year-old Lin laboured to a 2-under 69 at Kasumigaseki Country Club’s East Course to stay within three shots of a podium finish in tied 10th place alongside compatriot Shanshan Feng, the bronze medallist from Rio 2016, who fired a 68 for a 7-under 206 total.

Following a day of more scorching temperatures, torrid rounds and a potential game-changing storm on the horizon, the fate of the women’s Olympic golf tournament is as unpredictable as the men’s seven-way bronze medal playoff was on Sunday.   What we do know is that world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the USA totally destroyed the immaculate, susceptible Kasumigaseki Country Club East Course through 17 holes on Thursday and was staring at the magical women’s 59 that only IGF President Annika Sorenstam has recorded in prominent professional competition, that back in 2001.

India’s Aditi Ashok birdied three of her last four holes for a solid 5-under 66 in the second round of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 women’s golf competition on Thursday to stay in the race for a historic medal for her country. The 23-year-old rolled in five birdies for a flawless card on yet another steamy day at Kasumigaseki Country Club to lie tied second on 9-under 133 with Danish duo, Nanna Koerstz Madsen (64) and Emily Kristine Pedersen (63).

China’s Shanshan Feng, the bronze medallist in Rio 2016, celebrated her 32nd birthday in style when she fired a flawless 7-under 64 in the second round of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 to haul herself back into medal contention on Thursday. After a disappointing 74 on the first day, she sank seven birdies against no bogeys on another sweltering day at Kasumigaseki Country Club to move up to tied 11th place on 4-under 138.

Five years ago, Aditi Ashok was a wide-eyed teenager enjoying her time amongst the giants of sports and being the youngest competitor in the women’s golf competition at the Olympic Games in Rio 2016. Fast forward to Tokyo 2020, the Indian lass has made it clear of her intention to stamp her mark at Kasumigaseki Country Club, and challenge for an historic medal for her country.

While the summer heat was something of a forgotten concern ahead of the Tokyo Olympics due to the pandemic, it definitely was noticeable last week during the men’s golf competition and became a real-life factor Wednesday as the women’s tournament got underway at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Leader Madelene Sagstrom certainly didn’t experience the 41C/105.8F afternoon heat index in her home country of Sweden, but she did attend Louisiana State University, now lives in Orlando, Florida, and has played in even worse furnace-like conditions in Thailand and Singapore.

Chinese Taipei’s golfer Wei-Ling Hsu had tears in her eyes when compatriot C.T. Pan picked up a bronze medal in the men’s golf competition.

Malaysia’s Kelly Tan rued a double bogey which spoilt her first round card of 2-over 73 in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 women’s golf competition on Wednesday. After turning in 39 with three bogeys at a sun-baked Kasumigaseki Country Club’s East course, the 27-year-old fought back brilliantly with birdies on Hole Nos. 11, 14 and 16 to get back to level par for the day.

China’s Shanshan Feng has described her bronze medal from Rio 2016 as the “most important” achievement of her illustrious career as she looks to put the icing on the cake in what could be her Olympic Games swansong at Tokyo 2020. The 10-time LPGA Tour winner and former World No. 1 will tee up alongside compatriot Xiyu Lin at Kasumigaseki Country Club starting on Wednesday where defending gold medal winner Inbee Park of Korea, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, the silver medallist in Rio, and current World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States will start as early favourites for podium finishes in the women’s golf competition.

If Kelly Tan was looking for extra motivation ahead of her second appearance at the Olympic Games women’s golf competition, she got a full dose of it by witnessing a dramatic conclusion to the men’s event at the weekend. Kelly, Malaysia’s sole representative on the LPGA Tour, said the seven-man playoff for the bronze medal which included Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Paul Casey, was riveting as the players fought till the very end before Chinese Taipei’s C.T.

This is when it gets real. Prior to arriving at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Justin Thomas of Team USA said all the right things about representing his country and the excitement that he felt playing golf for a medal. 

With the men’s Olympic Golf competition completed, groupings for the first and second rounds of the women's Olympic Golf competition have been announced. Mone Inami (JPN), winner of five JLPGA events in 2021, will have the honor of hitting the opening tee shot to get the competition underway Wednesday at Kasumigaseki Country Club. 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Inbee Park (KOR) will tee off at 8:41 a.m. alongside 2016 Silver Medalist Lydia Ko (NZL) and 2016 Bronze Medalist Shanshan Feng (CHN).

Sometimes it’s best to stick to plan A, even if it seems like the universe is telling you otherwise. For Mariajo Uribe, that plan A included becoming a mother in 2020.

The tears from Hidilyn Diaz hit the floor at the same time as the barbell. Diaz won gold for the Philippines in the 55-kilogram category of women’s weightlifting, the first-ever gold medal for the country in any sport at the Olympics.

While one swing by American Xander Schauffele nearly changed the dynamics of the men’s golf tournament Sunday at Kasumigaseki Country Club, it was the 61 strokes of eventual silver medalist Rory Sabbatini, representing Slovakia, that really shook the leaderboard and the chase for Olympic gold. Schauffele ultimately emerged the winner on this hot, sunny day, clinching his golden moment with one final, gutsy par-save on the final hole for a 4-under par 67 and 18-under total.

C.T. Pan enjoyed a slice of Olympic history by winning Chinese Taipei’s first ever bronze medal in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 men’s golf competition on Sunday and it was extra special with wife, Michelle by his side.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama was heart-broken after missing out on a medal for his country at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 men’s golf competition on Sunday. The reigning Masters champion agonisingly lost in a seven-way playoff for the bronze medal after an enthralling final day at Kasumigaseki Country Club.

KAWAGOE, JAPAN – American Xander Schauffele enters Sunday’s final round of the men’s Olympic golf tournament maintaining the one-stroke lead he held at the beginning of the day, though now the closest pursuer is Japan’s own golf hero, Hideki Matsuyama, who replaced Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz as Schauffele’s closest pursuer at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Schauffele did so with a round of 3-under par 68, which on the surface might appear to be a standard, solid round of golf.

A course record tying 8-under 63 on Saturday has put the smile back on Sungjae Im’s face as he kept alive his hopes of a podium finish at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 men’s golf competition. The Korean star matched the low score at Kasumigaseki Country Club’s East course with a brilliant round highlighted by 10 birdies against two bogeys which propelled him into a share of 17th position on 7-under 206, and five shots back Great Britain’s Paul Casey and Mexican Carlos Ortiz who share third place.

A birdie, eagle finish failed to lift the spirits of India’s Anirban Lahiri as a third round of 3-under 68 on Saturday left him six shots outside of a potential podium finish at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 men’s golf competition. The PGA TOUR star was frustrated he has not been able to keep his foot on the pedal at Kasumigaseki Country Club’s East course after an opening 67 on Thursday was followed up with an uneventful 72 which took the wind off his sails.

Six shots out of a podium finish, China’s Carl Yuan does not intend to throw in the towel at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 men’s golf competition after a third round 1-under 70 on Saturday left him with a mountain to climb. The Chinese No. 1 was disappointed to lose touch of the leaders on a sun-kissed Kasumigaseki Country Club after trading four birdies against three bogeys, including a dropped shot at his last hole which saw him end the day in tied 28th place.

KAWAGOE, JAPAN – One record-tying round of 8-under-par 63 was matched by another as Xander Schauffele of the USA supplanted Sepp Straka of Austria atop the leaderboard during Friday’s second round of the men’s Olympic golf competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club. While Schauffele appears headed to a 1-stroke lead over Carlos Ortiz of Mexico, two afternoon weather delays cut short an official conclusion to the day, stranding 16 players who now must complete their round Saturday at 7:45 a.m. local time.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond needed all his patience in grinding out a second round of even par 71 as he slipped to tied seventh place and four behind American leader, Xander Schauffele in a weather-hit Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 men’s golf competition on Friday. The 25-year-old Jazz had opened with a blistering 64 on Thursday but endured a more difficult day with 16 pars, one birdie and one bogey at Kasumigaseki Country Club’s East course which frustrated the young Thai.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond led the Asian charge at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 men’s golf competition with a stunning 7-under 64 to lie one behind surprise leader Sepp Straka of Austria on Thursday. The 25-year-old Olympics debutant was flawless at the historic Kasumigaseki Country Club’s East course, firing seven birdies on the card against no bogeys as he began his quest for a medal on the right note against a star-studded line-up.

A last-minute flight and lack of a practice round weren’t enough to keep Patrick Reed from excelling in a red, white and blue uniform. Despite arriving in Japan on the eve of the Olympics’ first round and not hitting a shot before Thursday’s opening tee ball, Reed fired 68 on Thursday.

KAWAGOE, JAPAN – The Olympic golf competition saved the best for first as it got underway Thursday at Kasumigaseki Country Club under clear skies and a penetrating sun. Once Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino calmed his nerves to lace the opening drive down the fairway shortly after 7:30 a.m. local time, focus turned to his fellow playing competitors, Sepp Straka of Austria and Thomas Pieters of Belgium, as they made quick work of the ideal scoring conditions.

India’s Anirban Lahiri overcame a shaky start to post a solid first round score of 4-under 67 for a share of eighth position in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 men’s golf competition on Thursday. Making his second appearance in the Olympics, Lahiri dropped an opening bogey before finding his stride with a run of four birdies over five holes before making the turn in 33.

Justin Thomas never questioned whether he wanted to play in the Olympics’ golf competition. The Games were a goal “as soon as they announced it was in the Olympics,” he said Wednesday in his pre-tournament press conference from Kasumigaseki Country Club.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox becomes a two-time Olympian when he tees off in the opening round of the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday. “To say I’m a double Olympian kind of boggles my mind a little bit,” said Fox, after his practice round Wednesday.

Anirban Lahiri and Udayan Mane are not just fighting for an Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 medal in the men’s golf competition this week – they are desperate to put golf firmly on the map in their native India. The Indian duo will carry their nation’s challenge at Kasumigaseki Country Club beginning on Thursday, knowing fully well an unprecedented medal in golf would do wonders in growing the sport and enticing greater support in their cricket-mad homeland.

Chinese Taipei golfer C.T. Pan thinks he has a secret weapon to push him towards Olympic glory in the men’s golf competition – his wife, Michelle.

Golf is making its second consecutive Olympics appearance after a hiatus that lasted longer than a century. In case you need a refresher since Rio, we’re here with a quick outline of the format for the Olympic golf competition, which begins Thursday with the first round of the men’s competition from Kasumigaseki Country Club’s East Course.

China’s Carl Yuan believes winning an Olympic Games medal in the men’s golf competition will be “revolutionary” for the game’s growth and development in the Middle Kingdom. Yuan has put country above self by committing to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 starting at Kasumigaseki Country Club on Thursday which has dampened his hopes of graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA TOUR this year.

As a boy, Rikuya Hoshino had visions of competing in the Olympics and challenging for a medal for his country, Japan. Come Thursday, the 25-year-old gets to live his dream when the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 men’s golf competition tees off with the first round at Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Behind the trademark wraparound shades, Hideki Matsuyama portrays himself as a man of mystery and of few words. When the Japanese star is inside the ropes battling on the PGA TOUR, his concentration is 100 percent as he seeks golf immortality and perfection, by way of him being amongst a very select few who would labour on the practice range from dawn to dusk.

It was the easiest difficult decision of Marc Leishman’s life. He had a huge desire to represent Australia in the Olympics five years ago.

They were early in their careers. The pressure of trying to win a trophy meant there was less conversation than at your local library.

Earlier this year, Xander Schauffele was somewhat lukewarm toward competing in the Olympic Games. The 32nd Olympiad would be contested in a busy window near the finish of the PGA TOUR season, wedged between the year’s final major and a World Golf Championship, with the FedExCup Playoffs right around the corner.

Groupings for the first and second rounds of the men's Olympic Golf competition have been announced. Rikuya Hoshino (JPN) will have the honor of hitting the opening tee shot to get the competition underway Thursday at Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Thai golf duo Jazz Janewattananond and Gunn Charoenkul have found added motivation ahead of the men’s golf competition at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 after finding inspiration from compatriot Panipak Wongpattanakit, who won gold in the women's taekwondo 49kg event. Both golfers were glued to the TV screen in the Olympic Village on Saturday night when the 23-year-old Panipak delivered Thailand’s first gold medal of the Games with a victory in the final seconds against Spain's Adriana Cerezo Iglesias.

A lack of form is not deterring Malaysian golfer Gavin Green from dreaming of winning an Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 medal when the men’s golf competition begins at Kasumigaseki Country Club on Thursday. The 27-year-old admits his game has been stuck in the rough due to a combination of factors but feels he is on the verge of a resurgence as he prepares to go head-to-head against many of the game’s global stars.

They share a passion for golf and a bond forged by tragedy. Now, as Garrick Higgo prepares for the Olympics, he arrives at a venue where his legendary mentor experienced success more than six decades earlier.

When golf returned to the Olympics five years ago, a new course was designed specifically for the competition. This time, the Games will visit a historic venue that is nearly a century old.

Two-time European Tour winner and 2016 Olympian Fabrizio Zanotti had the honor of carrying Paraguay’s flag at Friday night’s Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony at the Japan National Stadium and he couldn’t have been happier. “When I found out I was going to carry the flag it was very emotional,” said Zanotti, who got his first look at Kasumigaseki Country Club on Sunday.

It was a long time ago, but Gary Player doesn’t have any problem recalling fellow 1957 Canada Cup competitor Torakichi (Pete) Nakamura at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Japan. “I remember him being short but strongly built and holing putts from everywhere,” Player said, “and bowing multiple times to the surrounding crowd every time he did.”

Home hero Hideki Matsuyama “can’t wait” to launch his quest for a prized gold medal for Japan when the Olympic Games men’s golf competition gets underway on Thursday at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Matsuyama, 29, was in a relaxed mood as he took time out from his preparation at Kasumigaseki Country Club on Sunday to pose for team photos with fellow male compatriot Rikuya Hoshino, and the Japanese women’s duo of Nasa Hataoka and Mone Inami.

It was 2014 when a 19-year-old Hyo Joo Kim made history after firing a 10-under 61 in the first round of The Amundi Evian Championship, going on to claim the title after defeating Karrie Webb with a birdie on the 72nd hole. When asked what she liked most about the event following her victory, Kim gave a classic teenager's response.

Justin Rose speaks with a golden glint in his eye whenever the topic turns over to the Olympic Games. In 2016, Rose, representing Team Great Britain, claimed a much-coveted gold medal in Rio de Janeiro as golf made a welcome return to the Olympics following a 112-year lapse, edging Sweden’s Henrik Stenson by two shots following a memorable final day duel.

When Jhonattan Vegas was 18, he rubbed shoulders with world-class players like Phil Mickelson and Fred Couples while competing in the Vivint Houston Open in his adopted hometown in Texas. It’s fair to say it was an important moment for the teenager from Venezuela.

Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira, friends from Chile who knock around Niemann’s house in Jupiter, Florida, on their rare weeks off, have, ahem, different culinary talents. Pereira, who with three Korn Ferry Tour victories this season was recently promoted to the PGA TOUR, is a barbecue specialist whose grilled pumpkin with cream cheese is said to be epic. 

The smile is always big and inviting but nothing like this. On Friday morning, just as Jeongeun Lee6 was putting the finishing touches on a record-setting round at the Amundi Evian Championship, another LPGA Tour star, Gaby Lopez, was realizing her lifelong dream by carrying the flag of Mexico ahead of her home country’s delegation of athletes into the Olympic stadium in Tokyo.

“Sometimes they’re good and sometimes they’re not,” says Pia Babnik of the artwork she creates as birthday gifts for her friends and family. Many could say the same of their golf shots.

Korean golf star Sungjae Im is treating his debut appearance at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this month as his “last chance,” saying it would be a memory of a lifetime if he can secure a medal of any colour. The world’s 27th-ranked golfer will be joined in Japan by fellow PGA TOUR winner, Si Woo Kim, as the duo seeks podium finishes at Kasumigaseki Country Club from July 29 to August 1.

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (July 6, 2021) – The names of the 60 men and 60 women who will be representing their respective countries in the Tokyo Olympics golf competition have been ratified with the publication of final quota places for the tournaments at Kasumigaseki Country Club. The men will compete July 29-August 1 and the women August 4-7.

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (June 29, 2021) – The qualification process for the women’s golf competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has been completed with today’s publication of the Final Olympic Golf Rankings. The women’s rankings were solidified after Sunday’s completion of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where 22-year-old American Nelly Korda captured her first major championship to move to No. 1 in the world and top the Olympic rankings.

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (June 22, 2021) – The extended three-year qualification process for the men’s golf competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has been completed with today’s publication of the Final Olympic Golf Rankings. With his U.S.

The Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings (WWGR) Board of Directors today announced a plan to resume the rankings with a temporary modification which focuses on the individual athlete and the weeks when she competes. The Rankings were paused the week of March 16, 2020, as professional women’s golf remained inactive due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement that the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) would resume with last week’s return of the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour effectively marked the restart for the men’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR), as well. The OWGR and Women’s World Golf Rankings (WWGR), upon which the Olympic Golf Rankings are based, were suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (29 April 2020) The International Golf Federation and International Olympic Committee have announced an adjustment to the qualifying system for the Tokyo2020 Olympic Games to accommodate the new dates of competition in 2021. In light of the one-year delay, athletes now will accumulate Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) points through a period ending on 21 June 2021 for the men and 28 June 2021 for the women.

The IGF commends the IOC and Tokyo 2020 for the swiftness of this decision to announce the new dates for the staging the Olympic Games from 23 July – 8 August 2021. The IGF believes these dates provide the best opportunity for our athletes to compete in a safe environment as well as enabling the Games to fit into the golf calendar for 2021, thus ensuring the best possible field for the Olympic Games.

In June, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee recommended golf – as well as the other 27 sports from last year’s summer Games – be included in the program for the 2024 Games, and on Friday the lineup was approved at the 130th IOC session. Golf returned to the Olympics for the first time in more than 100 years in 2016 in Rio and was also approved to be part of the 2020 Games.

The executive board of the International Olympic Committee officially announced that Paris will host the 2024 Summer Games and Los Angeles will get the ’28 Olympics. The two cities, which were considered the leading bids to host the ’24 Games, had already agreed to alternate as hosts and the executive board, which is meeting this week in Lima, Peru, approved the lineup.

Dustin Johnson is the hottest property in world golf right now. The new U.S.

Padraig Harrington of Ireland, a three-time major champion, is on the Road to Rio after a number of golfers declared themselves unavailable to take part in the Olympic golf competition in August. Ireland’s Harrington, an active campaigner for golf’s re-introduction into the Olympic movement, was in Copenhagen in 2009 when the IOC voted in favour of the sport’s return in 2016. 

Lydia Ko was only 12 when the IOC decided to readmit golf to the Olympic Programme. Ever since then, the current women's world no 1 has laboured hopes of becoming an Olympian.

We recognise the unique circumstances for Graeme and his family and, while we are disappointed that he is not available for the Olympic Games, we sympathise with his position. There are many considerations for players but those who compete will have the opportunity to be part of a truly global celebration of sport.”  

After a number of close calls and some tough days at the office, Dustin Johnson finally landed that elusive major title at Oakmont, and in the process climbed into the top three in the Olympic Golf Rankings for the first time. Johnson is tucked in behind Jason Day and Jordan Spieth at No.3 after winning the US Open, squeezing Rory McIlroy into fourth spot as the Road to Rio edges ever closer.

This week’s Tipsport Golf Masters at Golf Park Pilsen in the Czech Republic marks an important week in the Road to Rio for the 14 players competing who currently feature in the top 60 of the Women’s Olympic Ranking. This is the final tournament on the Ladies European Tour before the qualification deadline of July 11 and with 50 days to go until the Opening Ceremony, the players are fine tuning their games for this week’s three-round event.

Five in – five out. The Road to Rio became a little rockier for some and more positive for others as the fall-out from the second women’s major championship of the year, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, produced a very different landscape from the previous week.

William McGirt of the United States might not be heading to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games, but he is certainly upwardly mobile on the PGA Tour, claiming his first title at the second hole of a play-off against fellow American, Jon Curran, in the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village. There was little movement on the Olympic Golf Rankings as only a few players changed position among the top 60 headed for Brazil in August.

SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS MADE WITH 2016 LAUNCH DATE TO BE CONFIRMED IN COMING WEEKS Olympic Channel Services (OCS) today announced that it has to date reached cooperation agreements with 27 International Sports Federations (IFs) to collaborate on content for the Olympic Channel, marking another significant step on progress toward launch. IOC President Thomas Bach, who recently chaired a joint Olympic Channel Board of Directors meeting at the newly inaugurated OCS facilities in Madrid, said: “The Olympic Channel will mark a major shift in how the Olympic Movement connects with young people all year round.

Jordan Spieth delivered an emphatic message that his Masters disappointment was merely a temporary career blip when he claimed his first PGA Tour victory in his home state of Texas. The two-time major winner closed with a pair of 65s for a 17-under-par total of 263 to edge out fellow American Harris English and capture the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth.

Proud Spaniard Sergio looking forward to Olympic experience Sergio Garcia defeated Brooks Koepka of the USA at the first hole of a play-off to win the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour. With four rounds in the sixties, Garcia finished on 265, 15 under par, alongside Koepka but triumphed with a four to a six on the first extra hole.

The old was introduced to the new in Rio de Janeiro recently when the first Tournament Administration and Referee School (TARS) was staged in the Brazilian city which will host golf’s return to the Olympic Games in August. One of the world’s oldest and enduring item of silverware - the Claret Jug - which is awarded to The Open Golf Champion every year, was proudly on display at the impressive new Olympic course, Reserva da Marapendi, for the first Rules education event held in the Olympic city.

The Men Another significant day for unstoppable Jason Australia’s Jason Day consolidated his grip on the No.1 spot in the Olympic Golf Rankings following his four stroke victory over Kevin Chappell of the US in The Players’ Championship at Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra. Day’s success was the seventh in his last 17 starts and confirmed his status as currently the hottest player on the planet.

Just three months ahead of the moment when the men and women professional golfers share the biggest stage of them all in Rio, the European Tour and the Ladies European Tour discovered the delights of competing at the same location in the same week. Although staged on different courses at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Morocco, the chance to mix and share facilities in Rabat was voted an overwhelming success by both Tours.

It is now less than 100 days until golf celebrates its eagerly-awaited Olympic return in Rio de Janeiro but, astonishingly, it has required in excess of 100 years for prized medals from the last Olympic competition to surface. With an impeccable sense of timing, two precious and long-lost Olympic golfing medals won by H.

The Men Things are hotting up in Chile for Aguilar It was a significant week for the South Americans on the Road to Rio, as it seemed that the golfers representing Chile and Venezuela were determined not to miss out on the Olympic Games on their home continent. Among the major new entries on the Olympic Golf Rankings is a first appearance for Chile, in the guise of Felipe Aguilar who, despite being edged into second place in the Volvo China Open on the European Tour, comes into the Rio reckoning in 54th place.

The Men Marc Leishman of Australia and South African Jaco Van Zyl have both been propelled into the reckoning for places in the Olympic Games golf competition in Rio de Janeiro. With Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel asking not to be considered for Rio, the potential beneficiaries are Leishman and Van Zyl.

Peter Dawson, President of the International Golf Federation said: “The IGF understands the challenges players face in terms of scheduling this summer and it is regrettable to see a few leading players withdraw from this year's Games. "The Olympics is the world's greatest celebration of sport and it is exciting and appropriate that golf features in its programme again.

Sergio García: “It is a big honour to represent Spain at the Olympics and I want to live that experience fully." José Mari Olazábal: “The Olympic games will be a historic turning point for golf.

World number 7 and US PGA Tour FedEx Cup leader Adam Scott today announced that he is unavailable for selection for the Australian Olympic Golf Team in 2016. The IGF is disappointed with Adam Scott's decision to make himself un-available to play in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio but respect his professional and personal reasons for deciding not to compete in Rio and look forward to successful return of golf to the Olympic Games.

  The Men: Amazing Grace! South African Branden Grace fired a final round 66 for a two shot victory over British pair, Luke Donald and Russell Knox to record his first win on the PGA Tour.

The Men Danny is the daddy Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters champion, not only consolidated his position in the field for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but for the first time he moved ahead of his likely Great Britain team-mate, Justin Rose in the Olympic Rankings. New dad Willett, who profited from Jordan Spieth’s collapse over the back nine at Augusta, continued his rapid ascent towards the top of the men’s professional game by winning his first major title in the week when it was announced that the winner of the gold medal in Rio will gain access to all the majors in 2017.

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA (March 29, 2016) - With little more than four months until the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, United States Olympic gold medalists Missy Franklin and Lindsey Vonn have thrown their weight behind golf’s inclusion in the Games and given professional golfers a taste of what to expect in August. The pair were brimming with enthusiasm about golf being an Olympic sport as a means of growing the game globally as Franklin joined golfers Shanshan Feng, Sandra Gal, International Golf Federation Executive Director Anthony Scanlon and Olympic course designer Amy Alcott on stage at a press conference on the eve of the first major of the year, the ANA Inspiration, at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, where Vonn was also speaking at the ANA Inspiring Women in Sports Conference.

The Women Ko is a real knockout Lydia Ko consolidated her lofty position as No.1 on the Olympic Rankings after capturing the first women’s major championship of the 2016 season, the ANA Inspiration, at Rancho Mirage, California. No, this wasn’t a mirage, as the New Zealand teenager collected back-to-back victories following the previous week’s Kia Classic and in the process became the youngest player to win two major titles in LPGA Tour history at the age of 18 years, 11months and 9 days.

The winners of the men’s and women’s gold medals in golf at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will earn exempt status into golf’s major championships. The men’s winner will secure an invite to the Masters Tournament, the US Open, The Open and the PGA Championship in 2017, while the women’s gold medalist will earn an exemption into the Evian Championship in 2016, and the ANA Inspiration, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the US Women’s Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open in 2017.

The Men A Perfect Day for Jason Jason Day climbed to the head of the Olympic Rankings on the strength of a another towering week of world class golf. The Australian supplanted long-time leader Jordan Spieth as No.1 after defeating Louis Oosthuizen in the final of the WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin, Texas.

The Men Peak Performance: Australian Jason Day delivered the outstanding performance of the week by claiming the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at Bay Hill from one of the best fields assembled in 2016. Day closed with a 70 to edge out Kevin Chappell by one shot.

International Golf Federation also gives approval as new course is played for first time during test event The new Olympic Golf Course that will be used for the Rio 2016 Games received the praise of the first golfers to play on it and the International Golf Federation (IGF) on Tuesday (8 March). Not even the scorching southern hemisphere summer sun could wear down the enthusiasm as the test event – the Aquece Rio Golf Challenge – came to an end. 

With two Brazilian women players who are fighting to qualify for the Olympic Games, the Rio 2016 golf test event will see the first action take place on the new Olympic Golf Course on Tuesday (8 March). The Aquece Rio Golf Challenge will feature nine Brazilian players, five men and four women, playing in the stroke play format (the player with the lowest total score wins) at the new venue which was unveiled in November.

OCALA, Fla. – Winning the Coates Golf Championship this week will be more difficult than winning an Olympic gold medal. A bunch of LPGA events this year will feature stronger, deeper fields than women will see in Rio de Janeiro this summer.

A MUST-SEE EXHIBITION IN THE OLYMPIC MUSEUM’S GALLERY FROM DECEMBER 9TH 2015 TO JANUARY 31ST, 2016. FREE ENTRANCE.

Olympic hopefuls visit Olympic Museum and meet IOC President Thomas Bach at IOC Headquarters From the shores of Lake Geneva to the fairways of Rio de Janeiro, the world’s top women golfers had a taste of what to expect in 2016 when they paid a visit to the Olympic Museum and IOC Headquarters ahead of the Evian Championship. Seven golfers from five continents, all with aspirations of going to the 2016 Rio Olympics, played a nearest to the pin contest before taking a guided tour of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland and posing in front of the Olympic Flame.

A new golf Olympic golf legacy programme designed to make golf more accessible in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil launched in May 2015 at the Maracanã Stadium. Supported by The R&A, the Golf Foundation and the Rio Golf Federation, Rio StreetGolf is a schools and communities social legacy project that aims to change perceptions, break down sporting and social barriers and highlight the key values of golf – honesty, respect and integrity.

Several prominent figures behind golf’s eagerly-awaited return to the Olympic Games joined forces with Major Champions, Graeme McDowell and Suzann Pettersen in Florida, in providing an upbeat assessment of the state of play with only 19 months left until the first tee shot in Rio de Janeiro. Peter Dawson and Ty Votaw, respectively the President and Vice-President of the International Golf Federation – the body charged with the responsibility of bringing golf back into the Olympics – took to the stage at the IGF Olympic Golf Forum which launched the 2015 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, alongside the respected Rio course design team of Gil Hanse and Amy Alcott.

Golf course created to host Rio 2016™ golf competitions to be completely open to the public after Rio 2016™ Games Cristian Barcelos started to play at a social project in Japeri and made history in the Brazilian sport in 2012 (Photo: Zeca Resendes/CBG)[/caption] A new chapter in the history of Brazilian golf is being written. The sport’s return to the Olympic Games and the consequent construction of the Olympic Golf Course at the Marapendi Reserve site promise to be a watershed in the sport, not just for Rio de Janeiro but for Brazil as a whole.

1- Golf is universal: it is played by more than 60 million people on six continents. 2- Golf is inclusive: it is a sport that can be played for a lifetime by people of all ages, races and by men and women at the highest levels around the world. 3- Golf is respectful: the culture of the sport is based on long-standing traditions of fair play and a respect for the game and fellow competitors. 4- Golf is inspirational: Olympic golf would include the world’s best-known players representing the pinnacle of the sport’s athletes. 5- Golf is growing: it is growing in terms of participants and golf courses in golf-playing areas like Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and South America, as well as North America and Europe where golf is more developed. 6- Golf is youthful: each year there are elite golf competitions held for young people from all over the world. The 2012 World Amateur Team Championships in Turkey welcomed teams from more than 70 countries and six continents. 7- Golf is ethical: its long history of participants calling penalties on themselves – even at the cost of losing competitions – makes it perhaps the most disciplined sport in the world in terms of integrity and honour. 8- Golf is sustainable: environmental and social stewardship is close to the heart of golf.

The Olympic values of excellence, friendship and fair play form the basis of a philosophy – the ethos of Olympism – that has stood the test of time for millennia. Our sport, golf, shares these core values, and, we, like the Olympic Movement, also believe these traditions serve as lessons for life beyond sport.  

The names of some of the earliest sportswomen who were champions in another era are obscured by those who have received more consideration from contemporary  media. Among those whose names seldom appear in sport literature is that of Margaret Abbott, the first American woman Olympic champion.

By IGF, 13 April 2012 – On March 7, 2012, the organizers of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro selected the team of Gil Hanse and Amy Alcott to design the course that will host the first Olympics golf competition since 1904. In addition to his original designs, Hanse is known for his work on existing courses, most notably his highly acclaimed restoration of the North Course at Los Angeles Country Club, the site of the 2017 Walker Cup Match.

Rio 2016 will select the winning design this weekFar Hills, NJ., USA, 31 January 2012 – When golf returns to the Olympic Games in 2016, the competitors will be playing for a gold medal on a new course designed specifically for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Rio 2016, the organizing committee, will host presentations by the eight finalists this week before selecting the winning design on Friday.

The deadline for submission is October 28 and the winner candidate will be announced on December 23(Rio de Janeiro 10/14/2011) The Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Rio 2016™ announces the launch of an international contest to select a golf course design for the Rio 2016™ Olympic venue. The call for proposals is available from the Rio 2016™ website, www.rio2016.com.

Competition will be held in Rio de Janeiro, selected as site of 2016 Games Copenhagen, Denmark (October 9, 2009) – After an absence of more than a century, golf will return as an Olympic sport in 2016 and 2020 along with rugby sevens following their approval by the International Olympic Committee membership during the IOC’s 121st Session. They will be part of the Olympic Program in Rio de Janeiro, which last week was selected as the host city for the 2016 Games by the IOC.

Competition will be held in Rio de Janeiro, selected as site of 2016 GamesCopenhagen, Denmark (October 9, 2009) – After an absence of more than a century, golf will return as an Olympic sport in 2016 and 2020 along with rugby sevens following their approval by the International Olympic Committee membership during the IOC’s 121st Session. They will be part of the Olympic Program in Rio de Janeiro, which last week was selected as the host city for the 2016 Games by the IOC.

IOC’s Final Vote on adding sports to take place this October in CopenhagenBerlin, Germany (August 13, 2009) – Golf is one step closer to being reinstated as an Olympic sport following the International Olympic Committee Executive Board’s recommendation to add golf and rugby to the 2016 Olympic Programme. The IOC’s final vote on whether to add as many as two sports will take place on October 9 at the 121st IOC session in Copenhagen, Denmark.