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The Peter Cowen Column: Should golf be an Olympic sport?

Some may argue that golf's presence in the Games may be redundant with four already significant Majors each year

Published: Wed 31 Jul 2024, 11:36 PM

Updated: Thu 1 Aug 2024, 10:12 AM

  • By
  • Peter Cowen

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The principle of the Olympic Games is that it is considered the world's foremost sports competition. I have to agree with that statement.

In my opinion, the Olympics stand out as the ultimate stage for disciplines like Track and Field, Gymnastics, Swimming, Rowing, and other sports synonymous with the Olympic movement.


Throughout history, the Olympics have symbolized amateurism and the essence of traditional Olympic sports.

However, the sports landscape has experienced a notable transformation in recent decades, with a noticeable shift towards being driven by commercial motives. Reflecting on the past, golf was once a prominent Olympic sport, debuting in 1900. However, its presence in the games was short-lived as it was unexpectedly removed just days before its start in 1908.

Again in 1920, at short notice, the golf tournament was cancelled due to lack of interest.

In 2009 the decision was made to re-instate golf in the Olympics in 2016 in Rio.

Surely, golf already has multiple platforms to showcase its offering to sports fans – through the four Majors for men, the five Majors for the women plus The Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup and other initiatives. Other sports do not have such opportunities.

The positives are that the Olympics provides a new audience for all sports – including golf.

In addition, the direct involvement of Olympic committees of the participating countries – provides an opportunity for a potential release of new government, quasi-government and private funding, which is always welcomed in all of sport – including golf, especially in the development and infrastructure of the game where golf is not so established around the world.

And for the Olympics as a whole, it adds another sport that already has a huge following – if fans watch golf at the Olympics, then why not watch other sports at the Olympics?

If golf is to remain as an Olympic sport, perhaps there could be a different format to the traditional 72-hole serving that happens most weeks of the year. Surely, we do not just need ‘another’ week of golf?

Why not have a round–robin medal qualifier that perhaps transitions to a match-play format with multiple medals available for both individual and team divisions – that seems to happen in other sports.

Team golf, perhaps even mixed golf, would add an intriguing element that would add further interest – unique to golf in the Olympics.

Is it just me, but with the introduction of LIV Golf and its shotgun starts with both an individual and team division for each event – innovation seems to be the buzzword these days, for golf, sport and life.

Despite my thoughts above, five of my players will be teeing it up at Le Golf National in Paris on Thursday.

Victor Perez (Fr), Thomas Pieters (Bel), Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Joaquin Niemann (Chile) and Guido Migliozzi (Italy) are all in the 60-player field.

As always, despite not attending this week – I cannot be everywhere for everyone – I will watch my players’ performances with interest.

Good luck guys – let the golf games begin and let the best player win!



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