Welcome to Playing Through’s daily ritual — Golf Talk Today.
The 2024 Paris Olympics men’s competition is off to a great start, but something is still missing.
Right now, the Olympics keep the men’s and women’s golf competitions separate, but what if they did not? A team-style mixed event would elevate the golf Olympic experience. After my co-worker, Jack Milko, wrote about how LIV Golf could help the 2028 LA Olympics, I wanted to give my opinion. Check out his article, though, because it is incredible.
Brew a pot of coffee, grab a buttery croissant, and settle in as we discuss why Olympic golf needs more than stroke play.
The Olympics need a professional men’s and women’s event together
Last year’s Grant Thornton Invitational was such a success. Out of all the events I covered in 2023, it was my favorite because it put PGA Tour and LPGA players together on the same team. The results were phenomenal.
I think it would make for a perfect addition to the Olympics. The men and women do not play enough together, but they should. Professional women and men are in a league of their own, but one of the most undeniable things from that Grant Thornton weekend that I learned is these men loved playing alongside the ladies.
Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images
Tony Finau picked up tips from Nelly Korda while she did the same with him. Joel Dahmen gushed over Lilia Vu’s sheer talent. Sahith Theegala and Rose Zhang were such a dynamic duo, and watching them feed off each other was fun.
Jason Day and Lydia Ko gave us two veterans, and it was such a good pairing; they won.
It was a fantastic week, and the Olympics are the perfect stage to have another opportunity to do this.
The Olympics have mixed tennis events, so why not expand that to golf?
Take the various teams from each country and pair them with each other. Of course, pairing Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda together may be too unfair, so I would pair this year’s 2024 Team USA up like this:
— Nelly Korda and Xander Schauffele
— Rose Zhang and Scottie Scheffler
— Lilia Vu and Collin Morikawa
* Wyndham Clark would sit it out since only three American women qualified.
Minjee Lee and her brother Min Woo Lee could represent Australia together while Jason Day tees it up with Hannah Green.
Charley Hull and Tommy Fleetwood would be iconic, while Georgia Hall and Matt Fitzpatrick would be a sneaky good pairing.
Maybe stretch out the mixed event like a Ryder Cup/ Solheim Cup but with men and women.
The individual stroke play could happen at the beginning of the games, and the second week could be for the Mixed event. Maybe Los Angeles in 2028 could make this happen because the fans would LOVE it.
ICYMI: Top stories across professional golf
Check out these stories:
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, other stars off to solid starts at Olympic Golf Competition
2024 Paris Olympics: Xander Schauffele picks up where he left off in Tokyo
Gary Player will sue after Claret Jug from 1974 Open win sold for $500K without consent
2024 Paris Olympics: SB Nation staff predicts medalists for Men’s Golf Competition
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
