After two weeks of inspirational sport, emotional stories of human endeavour and a cinematic voyage through one of the world’s most iconic cities, the 33rd Olympic Games are now consigned to the record books.
Whatever your favourite magnifique moment from Paris 2024, it was hard not to get swept along by the Olympic spirit which burned brightly across the French capital.
The Games were a huge success and golf definitely played its part with two memorable tournaments; two worthy winners in Scottie Scheffler and Lydia Ko; incredible crowds and a golf course, Le Golf National, that underlined its position as one of finest we visit.
French success
Paris was the third consecutive Games to feature golf, but it felt like the moment that golf truly arrived in the Olympics.
Our sport returned in Rio 2016 following an absence of 112 years and that was a wonderful reintroduction, albeit in a country where golf is not known or followed as widely as other sports. Following that, Japan was then an ideal market for golf in so many ways but, of course, the Tokyo Olympics were impacted by the global pandemic three years ago which precluded spectators.
This time, to see the sheer volume of the crowds that lined the fairways of Le Golf National almost took people by surprise, including some of our players. It was not just the numbers of fans who turned up though, it was also the way they supported players from the various countries, not just their own.
Olympic Energy
In that sense, there is certainly something different about an Olympic crowd and the players reacted to that special atmosphere.
From the moment that you heard the French players serenaded on the first tee with the La Marseillaise, to seeing Scottie Scheffler standing there in floods of tears and Lydia Ko’s pride at completing the set of Olympic medals, it just reminded you of all that is good about our game.
Playing for something bigger than yourself in events such as the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, Solheim Cup or the Olympics, unquestionably brings a different dynamic to our sport, which is intrinsically an individual pursuit for the majority of a player’s career. I always love to see how players react differently in these situations and you could see in Paris how much it meant to them to represent their country and their people.
There is also an additional unique aspect to the Olympics in that everything is focused on finishing inside the top three and winning a medal. There’s no prize money for finishing in the top ten, nor ranking points towards a season long contest to consider. That made for some compelling viewing, as well as some risk and reward golf, as 60 men and 60 women, representing 38 different countries, did everything in their power to get on that podium.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy, as he so often does, articulated it wonderfully when he said it was “the best tournament I’ve ever played in apart from the Ryder Cup”. He said the two events were “the purest form of competition in our sport, as we don’t play for money in it”, adding, “it speaks volumes for what’s important in sport and I think every single player has had an amazing experience.”
At the end of it, Scottie, who was playing in his first Olympics, and Lydia, who won the silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo, were deserving champions and are both are fantastic ambassadors for our sport. In my role as Chairman of the International Golf Federation, it was also incredibly rewarding to see players representing six different countries – USA, Great Britain and Japan in the men’s, and New Zealand, Germany and China in the women’s – win medals, emphasising just how global our sport is.
Shane Lowry flying the flag for Ireland
I was also delighted for some of our DP World Tour members who will take so much from their Olympic experience. That includes Shane Lowry and Fabrizo Zanotti who were flag bearers for their respective countries, Ireland and Paraguay, Tommy Fleetwood who claimed the silver medal and Victor Perez, who came so close to adding to France’s impressive medal haul with a charging final round of 63 to finish fourth.
Le Golf National is undoubtedly a special place for Victor but also for Tommy, who won our Open de France there in 2017 and a year later won four out of five points on his Ryder Cup debut, forming the ‘Moliwood’ partnership with Francesco Molinari that has entered folklore.
Ryder Cup Legacy
The crowds we had for that Ryder Cup in 2018 were also exceptional, but the difference was they were naturally partisan, something that, of course, is among the many things makes the Ryder Cup so special in its own right.
Over the intervening six years, we have seen the legacy left by the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris, in terms of participation, the creation of new short courses and the way it has inspired players such as Victor and France’s other male Olympian, Matthieu Pavon, who earlier this year became the first French player to win on the PGA TOUR since 1907.
In the fullness of time, and as we look ahead to Los Angeles in 2028, I am certain this year’s Olympic golf competitions will prove to be just as impactful. Perhaps not least, as the moment that golf in the Olympics came of age.
