How to qualify for golf at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained

At its heart, golf is a very simple sport. The first of the Rules of Golf states that it consists of "playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules." Players use different clubs, depending on the type of ground they are hitting the ball from.

At Tokyo 2020, Nelly Korda and Xander Schauffele topped the women's and men's podiums on proud days for Team USA, while Japan’s 22-year-old INAMI Mone and Slovakia's then 45-year-old Rory Sabbatini claimed silver.

And who can forget the unprecedented seven-way battle for bronze in the men's event that has left fans of golf looking forward to more spectacular action at Paris 2024. But first, the world’s best golfers need to fight for their Olympic tickets before the Games get underway in the capital of France in two years’ time.

How many athletes will compete in golf at Paris 2024?

There will be 120 athletes competing in the golf competition of Paris 2024, 60 in each of the men’s and women’s events, which is exactly the same amount as Tokyo 2020.

The host nation France will secure two quota places, one per gender. The other 118 quota places (59 per gender) will be decided by the Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR) in two years' time.

No Universality places will be directly allocated as part of the athletes’ quota. However, they may be offered to NOCs within the reallocation process for unused host country places.

What is the golf qualification pathway to Paris 2024?

Golf’s quota places for Paris 2024 will be decided according to the OGR of 17 June 2024 for men and 24 June 2024 for women.

A number of ranking tournaments are officially applicable for the OGR, including Men's Tournaments and Women's Tournaments.

Points are awarded to athletes based on their final positions in each event, with performances in events with stronger fields earning more points, in accordance with a points distribution schedule approved by the International Golf Federation (IGF).

Ranking points for each player accumulate over a two-year “rolling” period with the points awarded in the most recent 13-week period weighted at 100% of their original value. After the initial 13-week period, the points are devalued by 1.1% for each of the next 91 weeks before they drop entirely off the athlete’s two-year record.

The OGR is ordered according to the average points that athletes manage to accumulate over the applicable two-year period.

Calculating the average points is simple - you divide the total number of ranking points the athlete has earned by the number of tournaments in which she/he has played during that period.

There is a minimum divisor of 35 events for the women’s OGR over a two-year period, while for the men’s OGR, there is a minimum divisor of 40 events and a maximum divisor of 52 events played over the rolling two-year period.

If athletes are tied for average points, the tie will be broken using the following criteria in order:

Firstly, by comparing the Total Official World Golf Ranking points earned in the most recent 52-week period. Then if needed, to compare the Total Official World Golf Ranking points earned in the most recent 13-week period, ending with the OGR as of Monday 17 June 2024 for men and Monday 24 June 2024 for women.

The top 15 athletes on the OGR will be selected by name and secure their Olympic quota places, with a maximum of four athletes per NOC.

Following that, athletes ranked from 16th place onwards on the OGR will be selected by name and allocated their quota places, with up to a maximum of two athletes per NOC, including those athletes within the top 15, until the number of 59 athletes is reached, including continental places.

Each of the five continents of the Olympic Movement will be guaranteed at least one athlete in each of the women’s and men’s events respectively. If they have not automatically qualified in accordance with the above, the continental places will be allocated to the highest-ranked athlete(s) on the OGR from the continent(s) without representation.

If an allocated quota place is not confirmed by the NOC by the deadline or is declined by the NOC, it will be reallocated to the highest ranked eligible athlete by name on the OGR of 17 June 2024 for men and 24 June 2024 for women, who have not already qualified - all while respecting the maximum quota per NOC per event.

What is the Paris 2024 golf competition format and schedule?

The Paris 2024 golf competition will take place between 1 and 10 August 2024 at the Golf National, which is located in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 41 km from the Olympic Village.

The format of the Olympic golf competition is stroke play, which consists of counting the total number of shots that the player has taken to reach the end of the course over four days (72 holes, 18 holes on each day). The player with the fewest number of strokes at the end of the four rounds wins the event.

Golfers to watch at Paris 2024

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm - the world No. 1 at the time - was forced to withdraw from the Tokyo 2020 competition after testing positive for COVID-19. He will be looking to make up for lost time at Paris 2024 and fight for a first-ever golf medal for Spain at an Olympic Games.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy made his Olympic debut in Japan, finishing fourth after the epic seven-way bronze medal playoff. The Northern Irishman became the third player after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win four golf majors by the age of 25 and the first European to win three different major titles. After Tokyo 2020, Mcllroy said to Sky Sports: “I've been saying all day I never tried so hard in my life to finish third. It's disappointing going away from here without any hardware. It makes me even more determined to go to Paris and try to pick one [a medal] up.”

On the women’s side, both the gold and bronze medallist from Tokyo 2020 have continued to be in strong form. Nelly Korda from the USA and Lydia Ko from New Zealand are ranked No. 2 and No. 3 respectively in the world, below Republic of Korea star KO Jin-Young who finished 9th at Tokyo 2020. Lydia Ko has the possibility to become the first golfer in history to win three Olympic medals in a row.

Players from Republic of Korea have dominated women’s golf over the past decade. Not since 2010 has there been a year without a Korean major winner. Even now, four of the top 10 hail from Republic of Korea, including KO Jin-Young (No.1), Rio 2016 gold medalist PARK In-Bee (No.9), KIM Hyo-Joo (No.8) and KIM Sei-Young (No.10).

All of them competed at the last Games in 2021, without reaching the podium. They will all be aiming for redemption in two years' time.

Also read: Why are Republic of Korea's women so good at golf?

Golf qualification timelines for Paris 2024

17 June 2024:* Men’s end of OGR qualification period

18 June 2024: Men’s OGR published & IGF to inform NOCs/NFs of their allocated quota places for the men’s competition

18 June 2024: IGF to publish the reallocation reserve list for the men’s competition

24 June 2024**: Women’s end of OGR qualification period

25 June 2024: Women’s OGR published & IGF to inform NOCs/NFs of their allocated quota places for the women’s competition

25 June 2024: IGF to publish the reallocation reserve list for the women’s competition

27 June 2024: NOCs to confirm the use of allocated quota places to IGF

2 July 2024: IGF to reallocate all unused quota places

8 July 2024: Paris 2024 sport entries deadline

31 July 2024: End of reallocation for the men’s competition

1-4 August: 2024 Men’s Individual Stroke Play

6 August 2024: End of reallocation for the women’s competition

7-10 August 2024: Women’s Individual Stroke Play

26 July-11 August: 2024 Olympic Games Paris 2024

*or upon completion of all qualifying events that were scheduled to be completed on 17 June 2024 but were delayed due to weather or other circumstances providing such events are completed no later than 18 June 2024.

**or upon completion of all qualifying events that were scheduled to be completed on 24 June 2024but were delayed due to weather or other circumstances providing such events are completed not later than 25 June 2024

Find out more about the qualification systems for other sports that will feature at Paris 2024.