Rory McIlroy insisted the men’s Olympic golf field at Paris 2024 is A-OK after questions regarding the validity of the qualifying system arose due to certain LIV players not being involved.
It was decided long before Paris 2024 began that the Olympic golf events would only include 60 players and a maximum of four golfers per nation would be eligible to compete.
After that, a maximum of two competitors per nation outside of the world’s top-15 could qualify, so long as that country does not already have at least two players inside the top-15.
Once qualifying ended last month, the US men’s team filled their four-man quota – leaving World No.8 Patrick Cantlay and World No.9 Bryson DeChambeau as two of several huge names who would be watching from home while others from outside of the top-300 began to prepare for four days at Le Golf National.
After missing out, Dechambeau called it “a sad feeling” and admitted it was “frustrating and disappointing,” although he does understand the current situation and hopes LA 2028 will be “different” for LIV players – seven of whom are in the field this time.
World No.9 Bryson DeChambeau did not qualify for the Olympics in Paris
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Despite the field in both the men’s and women’s golf events only being 60 players, it will still be a high-quality line-up with eight of the top-10 male golfers in action while 13 of the best 15 female players will tee it up next week.
Nevertheless, questions have been posed over whether the missing golfers at the upper end of the world rankings should have been included anyway and if the Olympic ranking system is fit for purpose.
While Jon Rahm believes each individual nation should be allowed to choose who represents them at the Olympics, McIlroy and Team Ireland partner Shane Lowry stated that the qualifying process is perfectly adequate and sometimes good players will have to miss out due to the competitiveness of their nation’s pool of talent.
One reporter asked the pair if DeChambeau’s absence in particular is particularly strange – given he is now the World No.9 and a recent Major champion.
The Irish pair responded by pointing out that other elite American men were also omitted and a change in tour has not done the likes of DeChambeau any favors due to LIV’s inability to secure…
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