Imagine Scottie Scheffler being paired with Nelly Korda. Can’t imagine, right? As there’s lack of such opportunities where we can see our favorite star paired in a mix-event. Well, we have good news. Just last week, the IOC announced new mixed-gender events as part of the sports program for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, and today, they have approved it. Yes, you heard that right. According to the latest IOC update, the Olympic Golf Mixed-Team Event has been approved and will debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. We know you’re curious, so here’s everything you need to know about it.

According to the IGF Executive Director, part of the reason we will see the event in play is because of the success of the 2024 Paris Olympics, for instance. Additionally, last week, talking about such playing opportunities, IOC Sports Director Kit McConnel said, “We’ve seen the real success of these (mixed-gender events). They bring something incredibly special for the athletes involved.” The only mixed-team event we have seen so far is the Grant Thornton Invitational, played at the end of the year. The Invitational event features 16 pairs of PGA Tour and LPGA stars competing at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. So, what will the new Mixed-Team event format look like?

The Mixed-Team event will consist of a 36-hole competition. The first 18 holes will feature foursomes playing alternate shots, followed by the final 18 holes in a four-ball format, also called best ball. The event is scheduled for the Sunday and Monday after the men’s individual tournament and before the women’s individual tournament. Each country can enter a maximum of one team, consisting of one male and one female golfer who are already qualified for the individual competitions. Lastly, all three golf events, including the mixed-team competition, will take place at The Riviera Country Club in Palisades, California.

However, golf is not the only main attraction. In addition to golf, the 2028 Olympics will feature archery, athletics (4x100m mixed relay), gymnastics, coastal rowing, and table tennis. All of these sports will also include new mixed-team competitions! Exciting? Yes, but some concerns about the Olympic Golf Mixed-Team Event still remain.

IOC still needs to resolve some issues according to Byeong Hun An

This is not the first time that headlines have featured the Olympic Golf Mixed-Team Event. For instance, Antony Scanlon, IGF Executive Director, shared last year that he submitted a new proposal for a team event to the International Olympic Committee in 2023. While we are finally seeing the results, one PGA Tour pro’s concerns remain unresolved. Upon hearing this news in 2024, PGA Tour Pro Byeong Hun An took to X to express some of his concerns.

Byeong Hun An said, “I’ve seen lots of people talk about changing the format in Olympic golf. (different format than stroke play, having team medal, mixed events etc) It’s almost impossible to do that… The Olympic committee will not give out two medals in one game; in golf, that would be a 4-day stroke play event.”

An’s concerns center around the Olympic Committee’s willingness to award multiple medals for a single event. The IOC or IGF will likely address this issue in the future; however, until then, the concern will persist. Additionally, An pointed out that one of the major challenges of the Mixed-Team event is time management—an issue that the IOC has partially addressed.

How? By limiting the event to two days and allowing only one team per country, organizers reduce the overall time commitment required from professional golfers. However, the format still requires coordination between the men’s and women’s individual competitions, which will demand busy schedules from the golfers. Byeong Hun An’s concerns remain, and we will be waiting to see if he has anything new to add to the conversation after this update!