Olympic Golf: Top 5 Teams to Watch in the Men’s Competition

Golf’s long-awaited return to the Olympic Games is finally upon us, but which players have the best chance to medal in Rio?

After years of anticipation, golf is finally making its long-awaited return to the Olympic Games. Starting with this evening’s opening ceremony, Rio de Janeiro will play host to 120 of the best players in the world — 60 men, 60 women.

The men’s event kicks off on August 11 and ends on August 14, while the women’s event starts on August 17 and concludes three days later. Both competitions will be staged on the same course, so architect Gil Hanse and his team were challenged to create a layout that will be tough but fair for both genders. Designed specifically for the Olympic Games, it’s anyone’s guess as to how it will play.

A quick note on the format: while players from the same country are all Olympic teammates, the golf competitions are individual events. The score of, say, Bubba Watson will have no bearing on Rickie Fowler’s medal hopes. In the event of a tie for any of the top three spots, a three-hole playoff will determine the medal winners.

It’s important to keep in mind that Olympic golf wasn’t designed to feature every one of the world’s elite players — rather, it will be an international showcase of the very best from a variety of different lands. In the men’s competition, most countries were capped at two representatives; only the USA has more, and that’s by virtue of a high concentration of Americans at the top of the OWGR.

With so much mystery surrounding this event, the gold medal could be anyone’s. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the main contenders. Here are the top five teams to watch in the Olympic men’s golf competition.

Next: USA