Paris Olympics: Only 3 Female Golfers Are Allowed to Represent Team USA; Here’s Why

Four! This is a very significant number of golfers for the Paris Olympics. Well, as per the qualifying criteria for the upcoming Paris showdown, a country can send two of its highest-ranked players in the top 15 of the golf ranking, but if more players are there, four is the maximum number. But what happens if there are less than four or even two players?

Does that country not send anyone? No! A country can even send its one player to represent the nation on the grand stage, and this is what has happened with female golfers this time. But the American team has been lucky enough to send at least three players if not four. 

Why did only three U.S. players make it to the Olympics?

One of the best players from the U.S., Ally Ewing, was so close to making it to the Olympics at the KPMG Women’s Championship. With the game taking shape, Edwig was at three under par, and she needed to finish alone at T5 or better to secure her spot in the Olympics, but did it happen? No! Her competitors, Lilia Vu, Jin Young Ko, and Miyu Yamashita, birdied the final hole one by one, and Ewing could not do anything but stand there and see her dreams getting crushed. 

Their outstanding performance got them to the score of four under, leaving Ewing to tie for the fifth spot. This loss cost Ewing a lot more than anticipated. When the Rolex Golf Women’s Rankings were released, Ally Ewing claimed the 16th spot in the world. This meant that she lost her way into the Olympics by only 0.1192 points. As a result, there were only three U.S. golfers in the Rolex Rankings, and hence, a team of only three will be donning the colors red, blue, and white. 

Ever since golf’s return to the Olympics in 2016, this would be the first time that no country would be sending a team of four female golfers. However, the U.S. will be making a close call by sending its top 3 players ranked 1st, 2nd, and 9th in the world on the Rolex Women’s Golf Ranking.

Which country other than the USA is sending three players? 

Claiming the spot of the world’s apex golfer, Nelly Korda is one of the players representing the USA, and rightfully so! Although she has missed three cuts in a row, she did start her season with a bang as she won five consecutive events on the LPGA Tour and added her name next to Nancy Lopez. The next two players to represent the USA are Lilia Vu and Stanford star Rose Zhang. 

Besides the U.S., the only other country to send three players to the Olympics is South Korea. Jin Young Ko, Amy Yang, and Hyo Joo Kim, ranked 3rd, fifth, and thirteenth in the world, will be seen representing their nation and fighting for the gold. 

The remaining 58 countries are either sending a single player or just two golfers. For instance, Canada will be represented by Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp, whereas Austria will be sending Emma Spitz alone. Scotland, Singapore, Malaysia, and Italy are some of the other countries that will just have one female golfer to try and win a medal. A pair of best friends, Charley Hull and Georgia Hall, will represent Great Britain.

Who do you think will win the Paris Olympics in 2024? And what players from your country are selected for it? Do let us know in the comment section below!