Meet the Team USA Golfers Competing at the Paris Olympics
The Olympic men's golf tournament is underway at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France today! It's just the third time golf will be in the Olympics since 1900, and Team USA is looking to medal.
In golf, like in tennis, qualification for the Paris Olympics is determined by world ranking. The rankings draw from the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), which does not include players who play for the LIV Tour. "It is unfortunate that no way to include LIV Golf in the Ranking could be found which would be fair and equitable to the 24 currently eligible tours and their thousands of playing members," OWGR Chairman, Peter Dawson, said this past fall. Therefore, all the golfers who represent Team USA play for the PGA Tour.
“The United States is home to some of the best golfers in the world and it’s an honor to introduce the four men that will represent Team USA on a global stage," USA Golf Executive Director Andy Levinson said when the roster was announced in June. "Since the return of golf to the Olympic Games, Team USA has reached the podium on both occasions with Matt Kuchar earning bronze in Rio and Xander Schauffele bringing home gold in Tokyo. With such a talented team going to Paris, we feel confident in Team USA’s continued success."
Round one is currently happening and round two will take place tomorrow; all rounds will be available to stream on Peacock and air on the Golf Channel. Here, meet the four Team USA men's golfers who are competing in the Olympics:
Scottie Scheffler
Hometown: Ridgewood, New Jersey
OWGR: 1
Round one tee time: 4:11 a.m. eastern
Round two tee time: 6:06 a.m. eastern
Group: Scheffler's group includes Rory McIlroy (Ireland) and Ludvig Åberg (Sweden).
"It would be very special to have the gold medal," Scheffler said in a press conference ahead of the Olympics. "If I don't, my life is certainly not going to end but it would be extremely special to have a gold medal and it's definitely one of the reasons why I'm here this week."
He added, "I try to place an equal amount of value to all the tournaments I play. I feel like that any time I show up, I'm trying to do my best, and that's definitely the case this week. It's definitely special to be part of the Olympics and I'm looking forward to the chance to compete for a medal for our country."
Xander Schauffele
Hometown: San Diego, California
OWGR: 2
Round one tee time: 6:06 a.m. eastern
Round two tee time: 4:11 a.m. eastern
Group: Schauffele will play with Viktor Hovland (Norway) and Jon Rahm (Spain).
Schauffele won gold in Tokyo, and is looking to defend his medal in Paris. "Nothing can prepare you for the emotions and feelings as they all hit you on that podium when you're up there holding the medal around your neck and listening to the national anthem," he told T&C. "That whole week in Tokyo, I was just trying so hard to stay calm and collected. I inevitably hit a few errant shots and had to really focus to make pars and hit it close enough to sort of have a high percentage putt at roughly four, or five feet and keep myself in contention. But, man, it was stressful. When I made that final putt, it was just a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I was very relieved and happy. This time around I have that prior experience and my major victory to rely on and keep me focused and in the hunt."
Read an interview with Xander Schauffele
Wyndham Clark
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
OGWR: 5
Round one tee time: 3:44 a.m. eastern
Round two tee time: 5:44 a.m. eastern
Group: He's paired with Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) and Tommy Fleetwood (Great Britain)
Attending the Olympics Opening Ceremony. was a "dream come true" for Clark. "I think it’s probably the coolest part about the Olympics, to be together with all the athletes and see all the countries and what the Olympics means to represent your own country. It’s something I didn’t want to miss, and it was something I’ve always wanted to do."
He added, "The most memorable part was the probably being on the boat and going by and seeing all the people that were in the stands waving down. Also, you’re in a very historic city that has so many amazing monuments and then you have the people waving their country flags, just was honestly pretty surreal."
Collin Morikawa
Hometown: La Canada, California
OGWR: 6
Round one tee time: 6:06 a.m. eastern
Round two tee time: 4:11 a.m. eastern
Group: He will play with Matthieu Pavon (France) and Matt Fitzpatrick (Great Britain).
"It’s crazy to think that I have this opportunity, but it’s something that I’m never going to take for granted. No one’s going to be able to take it away from me and to be representing Team USA, it’s one of the biggest honors really," he said ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
He added, "For golf, we’re such an individual sport. And even though the Olympics – yeah, we’re playing individually, and we’re making ourselves trying to win gold or whatever. You’re playing for your country and those were the best memories I made as an amateur. And this is just going to top all of that by a million times because it’s on a professional stage, it’s worldwide. So really anytime you wear USA on your sleeve or your chest or wherever it may be, it’s something that, it’s always going to be with you."
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