Golf at the Summer Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golf at the Summer Olympics |
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| Governing body | IGF |
| Events | 2 (men: 1; women: 1) |
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Golf has been part of the Summer Olympic Games a few times. It first appeared in the 1900 and 1904 Games. However, the 1900 golf events weren't actually seen as official Olympic events at the time.
Golf was supposed to be in the 1908 Games, but it was cancelled just two days before it was set to begin. It was also planned for the 1920 Games, but those tournaments were cancelled because not enough players signed up.
Many years later, in October 2009, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to bring golf back for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The International Golf Federation is now in charge of golf at the Olympics. To qualify for the Olympics, golfers are mostly chosen based on their world rankings. The top 15 players of each gender automatically get a spot. After that, the highest-ranked players from countries that don't already have two players qualified can join. Each country can send a maximum of four golfers.
Contents
Olympic Golf Medals
Here's a look at which countries have won the most medals in Olympic golf.
Overall Medals
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States (USA) |
5 | 3 | 5 | 13 |
| 2 |  Great Britain (GBR) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 |  Canada (CAN) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 South Korea (KOR) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 5 |  New Zealand (NZL) |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 |  Japan (JPN) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Slovakia (SVK) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Sweden (SWE) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 |  China (CHN) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Chinese Taipei (TPE) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (10 entries) | 8 | 8 | 9 | 25 | |
Men's Medals
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States (USA) |
3 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
| 2 | Great Britain (GBR) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Canada (CAN) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Slovakia (SVK) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Sweden (SWE) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 6 | Chinese Taipei (TPE) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (6 entries) | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | |
Women's Medals
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States (USA) |
2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | South Korea (KOR) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | New Zealand (NZL) |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Japan (JPN) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | China (CHN) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (5 entries) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | |
Golf Events at the Olympics
Here are the golf events that have been held at the Olympic Games.
- 1900 Paris:
* Men's individual * Women's individual
- 1904 St. Louis:
* Men's individual * Men's team
Cancelled Golf Events
In 1908, a men's individual golf tournament was planned for the London Games. However, there was a disagreement between golf officials from England and Scotland about how the tournament should be played. This led to British golfers refusing to play. The only golfer left was George Lyon from Canada, who had won gold in 1904. He could have claimed the gold medal, but he chose not to.
In 1920, two golf tournaments were planned for the Antwerp Games. But they were cancelled because not enough golfers signed up to compete.
Golf's Return to the Olympics
Golf returned to the Olympics in 2016.
- 2016 Rio:
* Men's individual * Women's individual
- 2020 Tokyo:
* Men's individual * Women's individual
Since golf came back, the Olympic competitions have been individual events where players count their total strokes (called stroke play). Some people have suggested adding other types of golf tournaments, like team events or match play, where players compete hole by hole. They also want more golfers to be able to join the Olympic tournament.
Olympic Golf Courses
Here are the golf courses where the Olympic events have taken place.
| Year | Host city | Course(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 |  Paris |
Compiègne Golf Club |
| 1904 |  St. Louis |
Glen Echo Country Club, Normandy, Missouri |
| 1908 |  London |
Royal St George's Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent |
| Prince's Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent | ||
| Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, Deal, Kent | ||
| 1920 |  Antwerp |
Cappelen's Golf Club, Antwerp |
| 2016 |  Rio de Janeiro |
Olympic Golf Course, Barra da Tijuca |
| 2020 |  Tokyo |
Kasumigaseki Country Club, Kawagoe |
| 2024 | Paris |
Le Golf National, Guyancourt |
| 2028 | Los Angeles |
Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California |
| 2032 |  Brisbane |
Royal Queensland Golf Club, Eagle Farm, Queensland |
Medal Winners in Golf
Here are the individual medal winners for golf at the Olympics.
Men's Individual Medalists
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 Paris |
 Charles Sands (USA) |
Walter Rutherford (GBR) |
David Robertson (GBR) |
| 1904 St. Louis |
 George Lyon (CAN) |
Chandler Egan (USA) |
Burt McKinnie (USA) Francis Newton (USA) |
| 1908 | Cancelled | ||
| 1912 | Not part of the Olympic program | ||
| 1920 | Cancelled | ||
| 1924–2012 | Not part of the Olympic program | ||
| 2016 Rio |
Justin Rose (GBR) |
Henrik Stenson (SWE) |
Matt Kuchar (USA) |
| 2020 Tokyo |
Xander Schauffele (USA) |
Rory Sabbatini (SVK) |
Pan Cheng-tsung (TPE) |
| 2024 Paris |
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Women's Individual Medalists
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 Paris |
Margaret Abbott (USA) |
Pauline Whittier (USA) |
Daria Pratt (USA) |
| 1904–2012 | Not part of the Olympic program | ||
| 2016 Rio |
Inbee Park (KOR) |
Lydia Ko (NZL) |
Shanshan Feng (CHN) |
| 2020 Tokyo |
Nelly Korda (USA) |
Mone Inami (JPN) |
Lydia Ko (NZL) |
| 2024 Paris |
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Men's Team Medalists
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 St. Louis |
United States (USA) Robert Hunter Chandler Egan Kenneth Edwards Clement Smoot Walter Egan Daniel Sawyer Edward Cummins Mason Phelps Nathaniel Moore Warren Wood |
United States (USA) Albert Lambert Stuart Stickney Burt McKinnie William Stickney Ralph McKittrick Frederick Semple Francis Newton Henry Potter John Cady John Maxwell |
United States (USA) Douglass Cadwallader Allan Lard Jesse Carleton Simeon Price Harold Weber John Rahm Arthur Hussey Orus Jones Harold Fraser George Oliver |
Participating Countries
In 1900, 22 golfers competed. In 1904, there were 77 golfers. Only one golfer, Albert Lambert, competed in both of those early Games. Before golf returned in 2016, a total of 98 different golfers had played in the Olympics.
Since golf came back, many more countries have sent golfers to the Olympics. In 2016, 41 countries participated, and in 2020, 42 countries did. Each of these recent Games had 120 athletes competing in golf.
See also
In Spanish: Golf en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños
