PARIS: Golf is poised to cement its place in the Olympics as the biggest names in the men's game gather in Paris this week after a season in which Tokyo champion Xander Schauffele and U.S. teammate Scottie Scheffler have stood out from the pack.
The Olympic golf competition at Le Golf National south of the French capital will extend golf's brief history at the Games, with the sport having returned to the fold in Rio in 2016 after a century-long absence.
A closely-fought Tokyo men's tournament, in which Schauffele fulfilled Olympic dreams that had slipped away from his German father due to a road accident as a young athlete, fired up interest in the Olympics as a golf fixture.
Paris organisers are hoping to generate even more passion, free of the COVID-19 constraints of three years ago at a venue with the kudos of having hosted the Ryder Cup in 2018.
Schauffele arrives in the French capital on the crest of a wave, having triumphed at the British Open to notch up his second major title only two months after clinching his first at the PGA Championship.
After overcoming blustery Scottish weather at the British Open, the Californian credited his breakthrough at the PGA Championship in May for giving him calmness and quipped of his Olympic title defence: "Onto the next one."
He joins world number one Scheffler, who bagged the Masters in April as part of a stunning six tour successes this year, last year's U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and two-time major winner Collin Morikawa in a U.S. team that was the only one to secure the maximum four qualifiers for the Paris competition.
After enjoying some downtime in Paris, Scheffler like his rivals will be focused on a medal - an increasingly sought-after prize in golf.
"It's not very often you get to compete in the Olympics, so to be able to have a medal for the rest of your life would be very special," Scheffler told reporters on Monday.
A gripping climax in Tokyo, including a seven-way tiebreak for bronze in which C.T. Pan of Taiwan prevailed, has helped lure to Paris more top players from a sport in which majors remain the yardstick.
"I think every single golf fan knows what the green jacket is," Japan's Hideki Matsuyama said, referring to the attire awarded to the winner of the U.S. Masters.
"But the gold medal, I think every single national in Japan would know what the gold medal is in the Olympics," he added as he also spoke to reporters on Monday.
Matsuyama, the top-ranked Asian player, is aiming to shake off the disappointment of missing out on bronze on home soil three years ago in the seven-way playoff.
The 60-strong field in Paris will also feature world number three Rory McIlroy for Ireland and 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm of Spain, who pulled out of Tokyo after testing positive for COVID.
French prospects have been boosted by the rise of Matthieu Pavon, who has ranked as high as 20th in the world this year.
In a sour note for the men's competition, there is no place for Joost Luiten. The qualified Dutchman saw his country's Olympic committee decline his spot due to his world ranking, and his successful court challenge of that decision came too late. - Reuters