GOLD STANDARD

The Olympic golf tournaments for men and women take place at Le Golf National near Paris from August 1 to 10. Fergus Bisset gives the lowdown on golf at the Games

- Fergus Bisset

This August, 120 of the world’s finest male and female golfers will tee it up at Le Golf National, Paris, to compete for Olympic Gold. It’s a once-every-four-years chance for players to represent their country and stand atop an Olympic podium.

Both men’s and women’s events have been growing steadily in importance and stature since the sport’s return to the Olympic schedule in 2016. Much like it has in tennis, the significance of Olympic Gold has increased in the minds of both the golf-viewing public and the players themselves.

Nelly Korda and Xander Schauffele, two recent Major winners, go into the tournaments in Paris as defending champions but a host of star players from across the globe will be hoping to deny them the chance to pick up second Golds. It’s set to be a thrilling couple of weeks.

GOLF’S OLYMPIC HISTORY

At the Paris Olympics of 1900, Charles Sands of the USA won the first men’s Olympic golf tournament with scores of 82 and 85. Incredibly, there was also a separate handicap event won by another American, Albert Lambert. The 10-handicapper only entered because he happened to be in the city on a business trip!

1900 was the first Olympic Games that included women, and there was a women’s golf tournament. But few (if any) of those competing in the event realised its significance. Margaret Abbott from the USA was visiting Paris with her mother and both entered a nine-hole golf event that they believed to be the Ladies’ Championship of Paris. Margaret won but it wasn’t until after her death that it came to light that she had, in fact, been America’s first ever female Olympic champion.

There was a men’s tournament at the St Louis Olympics of 1904 but then golf disappeared off the schedule from 1908 following a dispute between the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the Olympic committee concerning player eligibility.