The 2024 Summer time Olympics would be the third males's and ladies's golf competitions because the sport was reintroduced to the Video games. Le Golf Nationwide in Paris will observe within the footsteps of Brazil and Japan as host websites and the format for this 12 months is already set in stone.
However because the Related Press mentioned just lately, golf within the Olympics is more likely to embody a crew competitors when the Video games make their option to Los Angeles in 2028. Riviera Nation Membership would be the host course that 12 months. On the heels of the Grant Thornton Invitational, a mixed-gender crew occasion received by Jason Day and Lydia Ko in December, the time appears proper for such a contest. The Olympics have added combined occasions in recent times, similar to swimming, observe and discipline and triathlon, and extra are on the best way.
Including the crew idea to the golf schedule takes some calculating, however the AP report says an extra crew occasion would solely imply two extra days of competitors.
Right here's what a number of the standout golfers within the LPGA take into consideration combined competitors on the Olympics.
Nelly Korda, USA: “I feel it might be actually good for the sport of golf. I don't know the way they deal with it logistically. I’d say that the Olympics occur each 4 years you don't need it to be like a daily occasion. in a way. You need it to be one thing of various
“I feel it might be actually enjoyable, if there's a crew side concerned in addition to the person. I don't need to take away from the person a part of it. I feel it might be enjoyable so as to add in a crew occasion. . Once more, I don't know the way they might do it logistically, as a result of it might be lots of golf, however I feel it might be enjoyable.”
Anna Nordqvist, Sweden: “I've all the time been a giant fan of the combo and I introduced it up a number of years in the past saying that we must always have some form of crew format. It could be enjoyable for girls and boys to do it. See different sports activities the place they. have the look concerning the crew's a part of the Olympics and the way a lot it means to them. I'm all for it, and I hope we see some modifications going ahead.
Golfweek: Together with your expertise with Solheim, do you assume an Olympic crew occasion might rival that when it comes to drama and rivalry and all the pieces?
“I feel it's troublesome. I don't assume it's honest to check the 2, as a result of the Solheim Cup is the Solheim Cup and the boys have the Ryder Cup. It could be a really contemporary and completely different option to play. I feel we noticed the combined. crew occasion on the finish of final 12 months, how profitable it was when the LPGA and the PGA Tour collaborated. I feel that is the best way to maneuver ahead. I hope that at some point we are going to see in golf.”
Lydia Ko, New Zealand: “I'm not likely positive if I'm going to play in additional than 5 years, so this may very well be my final Olympics. I simply need to get pleasure from this final one doubtlessly.
“I don't have in lots of classes to be within the crew format. It doesn't enter the Worldwide Crown, it doesn't enter Solheim, so I like that I needed to crew with Jason Day on the Grant Thornton final 12 months. It was a lot humorous
“I haven't had many probabilities to have the ability to watch males. To be within the ropes and see them play and hit pictures perhaps in a different way or just like how I had the same shot, I assumed it was actually cool.
“I feel it's simply nice to be extra cohesive, and that's what we're all striving for. We're simply making an attempt to develop the sport of golf and the game itself. I feel it's essentially the most thrilling factor, and perhaps I’ve. I'm nonetheless performed at the moment, as I want to be paired with a fellow Kiwi.
Hannah Inexperienced, Australia: “I had the chance to characterize Australia in Tokyo in 2021, so it was an enormous honor to do this. I performed fairly first rate. I got here within the prime 10. It was good to have the ability to have that have, however Paris me I really feel like will probably be a tremendous expertise as a result of I hope there isn’t any COVID, nothing that forestalls us from competing.
“However I simply must do what I’ve to do. If the opposite gamers play effectively, that's additionally what they're making an attempt to attain.”
GW: There may be discuss of a combined occasion subsequent time. Is it one thing that will get you going?
“Yeah, that's one thing I hoped they'd do for this 12 months. It was actually cool with Cam (Smith) and Marc Leisch (Leischman) and the crew final Olympics. We had a few nights with them. It was simply enjoyable. to work together with them, as a result of our schedules don't overlap an excessive amount of, although we performed a few occasions in Australia, we don't actually see one another as a result of they’re a few of our largest weeks.
“A combined format can be superb. I heard Grant Thornton did very well final 12 months, so hopefully we will do it for after we get again to LA.”
