Paris 2024 golf: Olympic swim legend Michael Phelps gets chills on Le Golf National's first tee

By Maggie Hendricks
2 min|
Golf National 18th hole venue for Olympic Games Paris 2024
Picture by Andrew Redington/Getty Images

With 28 Olympic medals to his credit, Michael Phelps knows a little something about big Summer Games moments. But when Olympic Games Paris 2024 golf teed off at Le Golf National, the legendary American swimmer experienced a moment different than anything he had has in the pool.

“Being on the first tee, seeing what these guys go through in an Olympics. To me, an Olympics is different than a PGA Tour event, and I think if you asked these guys they would say the same thing, because you’re getting the chance to represent your country," Phelps said on the Olympic Golf X (formerly Twitter) account.

“There’s so much pride in that. There’s nothing better than wearing the Stars and Stripes.

“When [France’s] Matthieu Pavon came up, and the whole entire audience started belting out … it was absolutely incredible. The hair on my arms were sticking straight up. I think it really shows what the Olympics is. The Olympics are about bringing every single country together in one city to compete.”

Japan’s Matsuyama Hideki and Team USA’s Xander Schauffele are at the top of the leaderboard after one day of play. They will be back in action on Friday, 2 August with the women’s event starting next Thursday, 7 August.