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

USA: Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Matt Kuchar

We have no idea how the course will play or how the players will take to the intense spotlight of the Olympics, but the Americans appear to be the odds-on favorites. Not only does the team feature one of the highest-ranked players in the field in Bubba Watson — it has twice as many players as most of the other teams, automatically doubling its chances of medaling.

Watson isn’t playing all that well at the moment, but he’s arguably the best equipped to handle the pressure of the Olympics. A two-time major winner and five-time Presidents and Ryder Cupper, he knows how to focus and excel in the limelight. He’s got the length to overpower the course, which is on the short side for the modern men’s game.

Fowler hasn’t played very well this summer either, but it would have taken more than a couple of unproductive months to bounce him from an Olympic spot. Still, he doesn’t look primed for a win, not even against a small, undistinguished field like this one. He might be able to sneak into the top 10, though.

Reed is on a solid run at the moment, riding a wave of three consecutive top 15s into this weekend’s Travelers Championship. He loves to represent his country and has a killer short game, so he seems to be the most likely of the American four to post a podium finish. A gold medal would redeem a so far winless season.

Kuchar is in pretty good form at the moment, notching six top 10s in his last nine starts. His performance at the majors was notably flat, but he should fare better against the Olympic field, which features just 60 players. A podium finish is by no means out of the question, but I still like Reed to perform the best out of the Americans.

Next: Great Britain