Quick look at the men’s competition in the 2024 Paris Olympics
When: Aug. 1-4, 2024
Venue: Le Golf National (L’Albatros course), Guyancourt, France
Format: 72 hole, individual stroke play
Field: 60 players representing 32 countries
LIV Golf players competing: Abraham Ancer (Mexico), Adrian Meronk (Poland), Joaquin Niemann (Chile), Carlos Ortiz (Mexico), Mito Pereira (Chile), David Puig (Spain), Jon Rahm (Spain)
At stake: Gold, Silver and Bronze Olympic individual medals
Benefits for Gold Medalist: Exemptions into all major championships through 2025 season; Official World Ranking Points
Golf in the Olympics: After a 112-year absence from the Olympics program, golf returned at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Nineteen current LIV Golf players have represented their country since golf’s reinstatement.
Seven active LIV Golf players representing four different countries are in the 60-player field in the men’s competition
Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm is making his Olympics debut after qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but having to withdraw due to Covid
Rahm’s Spanish teammate David Puig is also making his Olympics debut after moving into qualifying position when he made the cut at the U.S. Open
The other five LIV Golf players – Abraham Ancer, Adrian Meronk, Joaquin Niemann, Carlos Ortiz and Mito Pereira – are competing in their second consecutive Olympics
Pereira came close to finishing on the podium at the Tokyo Games, making the seven-man playoff for the bronze medal before being eliminated on the third playoff hole
Three of the four members of Torque GC will compete in Paris – Niemann, Ortiz and Pereira – and three other LIV Golf teams will also be represented (Rahm/Legion XIII, Meronk/Cleeks GC and Ancer and Puig/Fireballs GC)
Five of the LIV Golf Olympians are playing their fourth tournament in as many weeks – Ancer, Meronk, Niemann, Puig and Rahm, who have played LIV Golf Andalucía, The Open Championship and LIV Golf UK by JCB in the previous three weeks
Jon Rahm’s most recent memory of Le Golf National, the venue for the men’s golf competition at the Paris Olympics, involves one of his biggest career highlights, as he defeated Tiger Woods in Singles at the 2018 Ryder Cup.
It also involves a much-viewed video highlight, with Rahm’s unbridled celebration after sinking the clinching 4-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole for a 2 & 1 victory that helped the Europeans to an eventual 17.5 to 10.5 victory.
“To win my first Ryder Cup point on Sunday against Tiger, it’s quite unique,” said Rahm, the captain of Legion XIII and individual winner at LIV Golf UK by JCB. “So yeah, it’s going to be very high up there.
“I would always say it’s the biggest overreaction to a four-footer I’ve ever seen, but it’s still what I felt in that moment.”
Of the seven LIV Golf players competing in the Olympics, Rahm has the most experience at Le Golf National. Besides his Ryder Cup appearance, he also has played the Open de France in 2017 (T10) and 2018 (T5).
Rahm will represent Spain in the Olympics alongside another LIV Golf player, David Puig of Fireballs GC. Puig was assured of his spot in June when he made the cut at the U.S. Open, giving him enough ranking points to join Rahm.
“Knowing he needed to make the cut after a tough Thursday, for somebody who really wanted to do it to come in clutch and do it was quite special,” Rahm said of Puig. “I’m really excited to be his partner. I hope he can still prove himself how good he really is and have a good week.”
Poland’s Adrian Meronk, a member of Cleeks GC, also has played at Le Golf National, finishing T11 at the 2022 Open de France.
How the 7 LIV Golf Olympians fared in the month leading up to the Paris Games
PLAYER |
LIV Golf Andalucia |
The Open |
LIV Golf UK by JCB |
Abraham Ancer |
26 |
T58 |
T16 |
Adrian Meronk |
T42 |
T50 |
T16 |
Joaquin Niemann |
T6 |
T58 |
T2 |
Carlos Ortiz |
T14 |
T29 |
|
Mito Pereira |
T35 |
T34 |
|
David Puig |
T27 |
MC |
T11 |
Jon Rahm |
T10 |
T7 |
Win |
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