As players compete for a place in the 60-player team, the race to Paris will get tighter. Remember, these spots aren’t just for the top 60 women in the entire world. The Olympic qualification criteria are designed to ensure players from all over the world will be represented, even if a large part of the field falls outside the top 200. (At the moment, 15 out of 60 players are in this category.)
Players will have approximately six months after the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship or June 24 to secure a place. The women’s tournament will take place from Aug. 7-10. This is immediately following the men’s competition.
Here’s an overview of the qualifying process.
The IGF uses the Rolex Rankings in order to create its Olympic Golf Rankings. Paris is open to the top 15 players of the world, but only four from each country are allowed. The United States has four players at the moment.
The remaining players will be selected directly from the rankings. Each country can only have a maximum two players who are eligible if it does not already boast two or more top 15 players.
Celine Boutier (currently No. 3 in the world) will be awarded a spot as host nation. Celine Boutier, currently ranked No. 3 in the world, will be competing for a spot.
The U.S., South Korea and other countries can only send four players. This means that some highly decorated players will be left behind.
Check out a dozen names that are currently outside the top 100 (along with their current Rolex Ranking).
