While the race for powerhouse countries like the United States and South Korea is always interesting when it comes to the Olympic Games, a large part of the field remains relatively unknown to most golf fans.
As it currently stands, 15 players ranked outside the top 200 would qualify for the 60-player field. Many of those players do not have status on the LPGA.
With a qualifying 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 Olympic event will be held Aug. 7-10, immediately after the men’s competition.
Here’s a review of how qualifying works:
The International Golf Federation 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.
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 the 15 players currently ranked outside the top 200 of the Rolex Rankings (with their Olympic ranking) who have a shot at Paris: