How Many Rounds Are There in Olympic Golf? A Complete Guide

By Matt Saternus

Golf has been a part of the Olympic Games since its reintroduction in 2016. It quickly gained popularity among fans and became one of the long-awaited competitions during the season. As with other Olympic physical activities, golf has its own format and strict rules. If you’re new to this type of sport, you may be wondering, how many rounds are in there?

In this elaborate guide, we’ll discuss the number of rounds, the scoring system, and how Olympic golf differs from other sports!

Table of Contents

Overview of Golf in the Olympics

Golf at the Olympics shows the best athletes from around the world. They compete with each other on the global stage, and only one can become a winner. While golf has no long-standing Olympic history, it carved its place on the Olympic stage. The competition follows a highly competitive format, attracting professionals to win the title.

History of Golf as an Olympic Sport

Golf, as the sport, made its debut in 1990 during the Paris Games. It was the first sport that was included in the modern Olympic arena. That tournament featured men’s and women’s individual competitions. Charles Sands and Margaret Abbott were the first-ever winners.

St. Louis Olympics also had golf on its stage in 1904. But after a few games, women’s competitions were removed from the list. This way, George Lyon won the individual men’s gold. Despite its early presence, golf was later removed from the St. Louis Olympics. This happened because of low participation and logistical problems.

For over a century, golf was absent from the Olympic games. However, the Masters, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship are defining the sport on a professional level.

Return of Golf to the Olympics in 2016

Golf finally made its return in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The International Olympic Committee reintroduced the sport and expanded its audience. Golf’s comeback was also guided by the recent recognition of golf worldwide. After the 2016 Global Athletic Event or Olympics, golfers from all around the world were able to participate in the tournaments.

The new format included both men’s and women’s competitions, making sport available for everyone. The format followed the 72-hole stroke play system. Justin Rose and Inbee Park became the winners of the 2016 golf Olympic Games.

How the Tournament Format Works?

The Global Athletic Event follows a straightforward format. It’s familiar and similar to the PGA and LPGA tours.

Stroke Play Format: The competition consists of 4 rounds. One round is playing for the day.
No Cut: The committee allows all players to complete all 4 rounds.
Individual Competition: Olympic golf is a strictly individual event featuring no teams.
Winners: The golfer with the lowest score after all rounds wins the gold medal.
Tiebreakers: If there’s a tie for first, second, or third place, a sudden-death playoff will determine the winners.

Structure of Olympic Golf Tournaments

The Olympic tournament follows a strict and well-established format. This structure matches the majority of golf events. The format is designed to provide a fair field for all participants. Both men’s and women’s games are played based on the same rules.

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How Many Rounds in the Golf Olympics?

The Olympic golf event has 72 holes and consists of 4 rounds. This structure ensures that every athlete will have an opportunity to play all rounds. Moreover, the rules do not provide for cuts. So, no player will be eliminated mid-tournament. Here’s how it works:

Four rounds (one per day)
18 holes per round
Total of 72 holes for 4 days

The Global Sports Event has a stroke-play format, which is common for most professional golf tournaments. According to this format, the golfer with the lowest cumulative score wins the gold medal. The second place will have silver, while the third place will gain the bronze medal.

Qualification and Format of Play

Unlike regular golf tours, Olympic golf has several criteria that will allow players to participate in the competitions. Let’s see the difference between other games and the Olympic format! Golfers qualify for the Olympics based on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for men and Women’s World Golf Rankings (WWGR) for women. The qualification process has some rules:

A total of 60 players qualify for both the men’s and women’s events.
The top 15 ranked athletes automatically qualify. There must be a maximum of 4 players from one country.
Beyond the top 15, spots are allocated based on world rankings. It also has a limit of 2 players from one country.
The host nation is guaranteed at least 1 player if they don’t qualify through the common rankings.
Additional spots are given by the organization to ensure continental representation. This ensures that even the smaller nations can participate.

Number of Participants in Men’s and Women’s Events

Each competition features 60 athletes in both men’s and women’s events. Unlike professional tour events that have 100 golfers, the Olympics has a small and exclusive field. However, this makes every round as competitive and tense as possible.

No Cut After Two Rounds (Unlike Regular PGA Events)

One of the unique features of the Olympics format is that it doesn’t have cut after rounds. In most golf championships, athletes perform great in the first 2 rounds to make the cut and continue to play the final 2 rounds. In the Global Athletic Event:

All 60 players complete all 4 rounds.
Every golfer has an opportunity to compete for a medal.
It creates fair competition for all participants.

Medal Determination and Tiebreakers

When the other tournaments offer players the opportunity to compete for the prize, Olympic golf is all about winning a place on the big stage. The medal winners are determined by their total score for 4 rounds.

The player with the lowest cumulative score after 72 holes will be a gold medalist. The second-lowest place will take the silver medal. Meanwhile, the third-lowest place secured the bronze medal. The final ranking is determined by adding up each player’s stroke over 4 rounds. There are no head-to-head eliminations, meaning every stroke matters until the final hole.

What Happens in the Case of a Tie?

If 2 or 3 players are fighting for the medal, the Olympic tournament uses a sudden-death playoff (a playoff hole is a series of holes). It sounds scary, but it can help settle the winner easily. Here’s how it works:

A committee chooses the playoff hole.
The ties athletes compete in a stroke format.
The player with the lowest score on that hole wins.
In case the tie persists, players continue playing additional playoffs.

This system was used during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when 7 players tied for the bronze medal. Eventually, C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei secured won the hole and secured a bronze medal.

Famous Olympic Golf Moments

Since we’re done with golf tournament rules, let’s remember the most bright and important Olympic golf moments. Even though golfers started participating in the Global Athletic Event in 2016, the games featured many dramatic victories.

Justin Rose’s Historic Gold Medal Win in 2016

Justin Rose from Great Britain was the first golf athlete to win a gold medal since 1904. That tournament was held in Rid de Janeiro and featured a thrilling final game between Justin Rose and Henrick Stenson. During the game, Justin:

Rose did a clutch birdie on the 18-hole to secure a victory.
He finished with a score of 16-under-par.
Justin edged Henrick by 2 strokes.

That win solidified Rose’s place in golf history. His emotional reactions even more showed how important golf’s return to the global stage was.

Nelly Korda’s Dominant Performance in 2020

Nelly Korda from the USA demonstrated a brilliant performance during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Korda participated in the games as the current World. No 1. She shot a second-round 62 and has the lowest round ever recorded by the women in golf. Nelly finished with a total score of 17-under-par. After that victory, Korda established her status as the best female golfer in the world.

How Does Olympic Golf Compare to Major Championships?

While the Olympic golf competitions use the same stroke play format, they differ slightly from other tournaments. It has:

No Prize Money: There golfers compete purely for the national pride and gold medal.
Smaller Field: The Olympics feature only 60 players per event.
No Cut: Most majors cut the field after 36 holes. The Olympics allows athletes to play all 4 rounds.
Global Representation: The Olympics offer diverse representation, giving opportunities to smaller golf nations.

Despite these differences, winning an Olympics is a very prestigious achievement. This is why so many players are dreaming to step on the global stage.