The race to Paris 2024 will begin to tighten as players jockey for a spot in the 60-player field. But remember, those spots aren’t reserved for the 60 best women in the world. The Olympic qualifying criteria is designed to ensure that players from around the world are represented, even if that means a large portion of the field is ranked outside the top 200. (Currently, that’s 15 of the 60 players.)
With a cutoff date of June 24, or just after the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, players will have roughly six months to shore up a spot. The women’s event will be held Aug. 7-10, immediately after the men’s competition.
First, here’s a review of how qualifying works.
The IGF utilizes the Rolex Rankings to create its own Olympic Golf Rankings. The top 15 players in the world are eligible for Paris, with a limit of four players from any given country. Currently, the United States is the only country with four players.
The rest of the field will come straight from the rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players in the top 15.
The host country, France, is ensured at least one spot, which will go to Celine Boutier, who is currently No. 3 in the world.
With a maximum of four players from the likes of the U.S. and South Korea, a number of highly-decorated players will once again be left at home.
Here’s a look at a dozen notable names (with current Rolex Ranking) currently on the outside looking in: