A shadow of disappointment moved in over the men’s golf competition in the Summer Games following the withdrawals of world No. 1 Jon Rahm of Spain and No. 6 Bryson DeChambeau of the U.S. after the past two winners of the U.S. Open tested positive for COVID-19.
Then word came Monday in Japan that a typhoon – more akin to a tropical storm in the U.S. – was barreling toward Tokyo and its surrounding regions.
Both storms, however, have been weathered as the typhoon fizzled and a simmering buzz took hold amid the silence at the East Course at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, about 35 miles northwest of downtown Tokyo.
There’s gold, silver and bronze to be found in the Musashino Hills, after all.
“The end goal is to win gold,” reigning British Open champion and world No. 3 Collin Morikawa said Tuesday. “But what the Olympics represents is a lot of memories, representing your country, getting to wear a USA on your shirt, pants, hat, everything. It’s one of the biggest honors and it really means a lot because we play such an individual sport we’re so focused in on ourselves that we’re put on a bigger stage and we don’t get to do this too often and when you do, you want to represent your country as best you can.”
Tee times: Olympic men’s golf competition
That’s the general feeling among the 60 players in the field, which despite the absence of Rahm and DeChambeau – and the decisions by some of the game’s best players and biggest stars to pass on playing (Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay and Brooks Koepka of the U.S., Sergio Garcia of Spain, Lee Westwood of Great Britain and Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa) – isn’t void of talent.
Joining Morikawa on the U.S. squad are world No. 4 Justin Thomas, No. 5 Xander Schauffele and No. 12 Patrick Reed, who was a last-minute replacement for DeChambeau. Reed finished in a tie for 11th in the 2016 Rio Games, when golf returned to the Olympics for the first time in more than a century.
The field also boasts four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and 2019 British Open champion Shane Lowry of Ireland, world No. 11 Viktor Hovland of Norway, reigning Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood of Great Britain, Abraham Ancer of Mexico, Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman of Australia, and Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim of South Korea.
The first round begins Thursday in Japan (6:30 p.m. ET Wednesday in the U.S.).
“I love Japan, I love being here. My grandparents live in Tokyo. So I made a lot of visits here and I’ve always enjoyed coming and I enjoy the culture and the food,” said Schauffele, who needed 40 tickets for family and friends when he played in the 2019 Zozo Championship just outside of Tokyo. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, he won’t need to get any this year because fans are not allowed.
“So, as soon as the Olympics were announced in Tokyo, obviously the circumstances were different, was hoping I could see family and friends but that’s not the case, I’m really still very excited to be here,” he added. “To represent USA is obviously a true honor and it’s been a lot of fun practicing so far this week and looking forward to competing.”
Kasumigaseki Country Club, a private course founded in 1929, has hosted several professional and amateur tournaments, including two World Cups. In 2010, Matsuyama won the Asian Amateur at Kasumigaseki to qualify for the 2011 Masters, where he was the low amateur.
The East Course was redesigned in 2016 by Tom and Logan Fazio. It measures 7,466 from the back tees with a par of 71. It is one of 3,140 courses in Japan, the most of any country except the U.S.
The layout winds through rows of pine and cypress trees and features bent grass greens, which are on the soft side after about an inch of rain fell Tuesday. Large, deep bunkers which frame the greens and tight fairways – about 25-30 yards in width – are to be avoided. Wise to stay out of the rough, too.
“Golf course is fantastic,” Morikawa said. “Conditions are amazing. Rough is up. Fairway bunkers are perfectly placed, at least for me to hit them right in it, and then the greens are just spectacular. The greens are as pure as they’re going to get.
“It’s going to be softer than probably what we would hope for, but I think it still puts up a good test. It’s going to put a really good test of making sure you’re hitting it really well off the tee and then seeing what kind of up-and-downs you can make. I think you can get some pretty tough lies out here for the week and if you’re able to save a few pars for the week you’ll be doing pretty good.”
The stage is ready despite COVID-19 and Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino will hit the first tee shot.
“Golf is golf,” Morikawa said. “We play four days. Every week is different. You don’t know how someone’s going to play and I think that’s what makes our sport amazing is that guys like Xander JT, some of the best players in the world, they are very consistent, so they give themselves a chance to win.
“And when you’re put on this stage like this, it’s who is going to be able to step up in the moment.”