New format proposed for 2028 Olympic Games

Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda are the two most dominant players in golf right now – and we could one day see them teaming up to take on the rest of the world.

What a terrifying prospect that is.

Why? Well, since golf’s return to the Olympic Games in 2016, the format has been two separate 72-hole stroke play events for men and women.

That will be the case for the upcoming Games in Paris, but the International Golf Federation has announced that it has put forward a proposal to the International Olympic Committee for a mixed team event in Los Angeles in four years’ time.

The plan is for a 16-team event at Riviera Country Club, home of the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational hosted by Tiger Woods, which will include one round of foursomes and another of fourballs.

The teams would be selected from the existing 60 male and 60 female qualifiers.

“At the beginning of next year, [the IOF] should make the decision as to what events will be in the program for LA,” IGF executive director Antony Scanlon said. “We’re hoping that the fact that there’s no additional athletes and no additional resources required that the mixed event would be approved by them.”

One person who is keen is Justin Rose, who won the first men’s gold medal in golf for 112 years in Rio.

“I’m all for that,” Rose replied when asked about the possibility of a mixed event at the Olympics.

“One thing I really feel strongly about is that the Olympics should represent the best players in the world and the best players in the world should be competing in the Olympics.

“I think that there should be an individual competition front and centre, for sure, but if there’s a chance for a second medal, I’m so up for that as a different format or an additional format in the Olympics.

“Many sports have multiple disciplines that can accrue multiple medals. Obviously the individual side, I think really proves who’s the best player on that week. But if there’s a secondary opportunity, I think that’d be fantastic.”

The golf events at this year’s summer Olympics are scheduled to take place at Le Golf National, the host venue of the 2018 Ryder Cup, between August 1 and 10.

Alex Perry is the Associate Editor of bunkered. A journalist for more than 20 years, he has been a golf industry stalwart for the majority of his career and, in a five-year spell at ESPN, covered every sporting event you can think of. He completed his own Grand Slam at the 2023 Masters, having fallen in love with the sport at his hometown club of Okehampton and on the links of nearby Bude & North Cornwall.

Associate Editor