The eyes of the sporting world are focused on Paris over the next fortnight and, for golf fans, attention turns to the familiar fairways of Le Golf National, which hosts the Olympic men's competition. Masters winner Scottie Scheffler leads a four-pronged American challenge, which also includes US PGA Championship and Open Championship hero Xander Schauffele, who is bidding for a second straight Olympi c gold.
We’re targeting three different golfers with our Olympics golf 2024 predictions, and you can fade or follow any of them before the competition kicks off later this week.
Olympics Golf 2024: Men's predictions
Golf returned to the Olympics after 112 years in 2016 but, unlike the Rio and Tokyo games, this is the first time the Olympic competition has been staged at a venue where a significant number of the 60-runner field have course experience. Le Golf National has hosted the French Open on 29 occasions, as well as the 2018 Ryder Cup won by Europe. With water on many holes, including the fearsome 18th, it is renowned as a difficult test of tee-to-green precision.
Scottie Scheffler has won six titles this year, and there is no reason to think he won't relish Le Golf National, although he has lost strokes with the putter in two of his last three starts. Schauffele, meanwhile, has shortened up since winning the Open, and he's arguably in better form than his compatriot. He is preferred of the top two, but there could be value elsewhere. The two previous modern Olympic golf competitions went the way of high-class performers Justin Rose and Schauffele. In a field that lacks depth, it could be Jon Rahm who makes course experience and class tell.