JUPITER, Florida – Most private golf clubs would be thrilled to have a member play in the Olympics, so you can imagine the excitement level at The Dye Preserve when the Olympics men’s golf competition in Paris starts Thursday.
The Dye has eight members competing at the Olympics the next two weeks: six in the men’s field – 10 percent of the 60-player field at Le Golf National − and two in the women’s event that starts Aug. 7.
Safe to say no other golf club in the U.S. is more represented in the Olympics than the Dye.
“It will be awesome to see all the pals in the field this week,” said France’s Matthieu Pavon, a Dye member who gets the rare opportunity to compete at the Olympics in his home country.
“The chance to represent your country in your country for the Olympics is something you dream about, even though you’re not sure it can really happen in your life. But to play alongside all the Dye members makes it even more special.”
Joining Pavon at Le Golf National, site of the 2018 Ryder Cup, will be fellow Dye members Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira of Chile, Alex Noren of Sweden, Corey Conners of Canada and Carlos Ortiz of Mexico.
More: USA Today’s 2024 Olympics hub | How to watch | Full men’s field | Full women’s field
All but Pavon played in the pandemic-delayed Olympic golf competition in Tokyo in 2021. Pereira lost a seven-man playoff for the bronze medal (it went to C.T. Pan), Niemann was 10th, a shot out of the playoff, Connors was T13, Noren T14 and Ortiz T42.
“It’s cool, but that’s what happens when you have so many top golfers living in Jupiter,” said Noren, who played for the winning European Ryder Cup team at Le Golf National in 2018. “There are so many great players living here and joining places like Dye Preserve and the Bear’s Club.”
Alex Noren of Sweden tees off on the sixteenth hole during round three of the men’s individual stroke play of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Photo by Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Dye almost had another Olympian: Palm Beach Gardens resident Cristobal Del Solar was the second-highest ranked Chilean behind Niemann to earn a spot in the elite field, but he turned it down because he was among the top players on the Korn Ferry Tour trying to earn his PGA Tour card for the first time. When he was 17th on the KFT points list (the top 30 receive cards) at the June 17 Olympic deadline, he decided to give his spot to fellow Chilean and Dye member Pereira because he was the next-ranked Chilean in the world rankings
What happened next? Del Solar won a KFT event two weeks ago to clinch his PGA Tour card. But it was too late to get back in the Olympic field. Del Solar seemed to be OK with missing out on his first Olympic experience.
“My main goal this year is to get my PGA Tour card,” Del Solar said this spring after he became the first player to shoot a 57 in a PGA-Tour sanctioned event.
Pereira was happy to get this break. The golfing gods owed him one after he double-bogeyed the final hole to lose the 2022 PGA Championship by a shot.
“Cristobal and I had talked about it several times, and he said he wanted to get to a certain number of points to get his PGA Tour card,” Pereira said. “I think it was very smart of him to make that decision.”
Mito Pereira (CHI) tees off on the fifth hole during round one of the men’s individual stroke play of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Dye’s Olympic contingent split among PGA Tour, LIV Golf
The Dye’s Olympic contingent is a diverse group. Three of them play on the PGA Tour (Pavon, Noren and Conners) and the other half play on LIV Golf (Niemann, Pereira and Ortiz). Niemann leads the LIV money list with $14,231,167 after winning twice this year and finishing co-runner-up Sunday to Jon Rahm in London.
Instead of piling up more green, Niemann is instead concentrating on acquiring gold, silver or bronze in Paris. Unlike his previous Olympic experience, there will be no restrictions because of the pandemic.
“Obviously, I enjoyed a lot being in Japan the last Olympics, and being able to be in another Olympics representing my country and knowing more people will be watching is more special,” Niemann said. “I’m excited to be there in Paris and represent my country.”
There is an extra incentive for LIV players in the Olympics: The winner earns a spot in next year’s four major championships (as well as world ranking points). First prize is just $50,000, though individual countries pay an extra bonus to medal-winning athletes.
Meanwhile, Dye members Azahara Munoz of Spain and Gaby Lopez of Mexico are competing in the women’s Olympic competition.