Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, and Adam Scott have reportedly withdrawn from the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. This year, golf will make its third Olympics appearance after the sport returned in 2016 after a 112-year absence. In 2016, several marquee golfers withdrew in fear of the Rica virus. The same thing happened during the 2021 Olympics owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A lot of golfers were expected to participate in the upcoming Olympic Games, but some have backed out. Now, let’s take a look at the possibilities as to why these golfers might’ve stepped back from the Olympics.
Why Did Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, And Others Back Out Of The Olympics?
Brooks Koepka asked the International Golf Federation not to consider his name, according to a few reports from the association. He would have faced difficulty getting into the US team, which he had sensed much before. The top two players in the OWGR are automatically selected, and up to four have their OWGR ranks under the top 15. But Koepka’s rank dropped to 31, and he’s currently ranked 18th among Americans. Thus, it leaves no room for Koepka to get into the team. This comes as a result of LIV Golf being denied ranking points by the OWGR again.
Hatton, who defected to LIV Golf, is ranked 16th on the OWGR, and Matt Fitzpatrick (9) and Tommy Fleetwood (10) are ahead of him so they have a better chance for Team Britain. Thus, considering the level of competition, Hatton made a smarter decision. Adam Scott felt that the Olympics were an exhibition so his withdrawal wasn’t a surprise. His OWGR rank is 51 and he is the third Australian on the list.
Louis Oosthuizen and Thomas Pieters have also dropped out of the games. On the contrary, no female golfers have opted out. The qualifying process for the 2024 Olympics started in 2022 and OWGR ranks are being considered for eligibilty. The event takes place at Le Golf National, and the women’s tournament starts three days after the men’s tournament. A total of 60 golfers will be playing in Paris who have ranks under the top 15 and are the lowest of two golfers from each country. Thus, it is to see what the final line-up of the Olympics comes out to be before the Games begins in August.
