As was the case with the men’s Olympic competition, International Golf Federation officials have appropriately given the honour of hitting the opening tee shot of the 2021 Olympic women’s golf tournament to a native of the host country.

Japan’s Mone Inami will be the first player off when the women’s event begins on Wednesday at Kasumigaseki Country Club at 7:30 a.m. local time (6:30 p.m. eastern time Wednesday in the U.S.). Inami will be playing in the threesome with Maria Fassi of Mexico and Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland. (Side note: You might recall that Sepp Straka was in the opening pairing of the men’s tournament and shot a 63 to take the early lead last week.)

There are several interesting pairings to follow, most notably the threesome of Inbee Park, Lydia Ko and Shanshan Feng that tees off on Day 1 at 7:25 p.m. Tuesday night U.S. time. The trio from South Korea, New Zealand and China won gold, silver and bronze at the 2016 Rio Games.

As for the four Americans competing in the women’s event, World No. 1 Nelly Korda tees off at 7:14 p.m. Wednesday night U.S. time (paired with Nasa Hataoka and Jin Young Ko), with Lexi Thompson following her at 7:25 p.m. (with Brooke Henderson and U.S. Women’s Open champ Yuka Saso). Jessica Korda tees off at 9:03 p.m. and Danielle Kang has a 9:36 p.m. tee time.

ANA Inspiration winner Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand and Amundi Evian Championship winner Minjee Lee of Australia are paired together along with 2020 AIG Women’s British Open winner Sophia Popov. They tee off at 9:14 p.m. Tuesday in the U.S.

Here are all the first and second round tee times at Kasumigaseki Country Club:

ROUND 1
First Tee

7:30 a.m./6:30 p.m.
Mone INAMI, Japan
Maria FASSI, Mexico
Albane VALENZUELA, Switzerland

7:41 a.m./6:41 p.m.
Kelly TAN, Malaysia
Alena SHARP, Canada
Anne VAN DAM, The Netherlands

7:52 a.m./6:52 p.m.
Leona MAGUIRE, Ireland
Bianca PAGDANGANAN, Philippines
Matilda CASTREN, Finland

8:03 a.m./7:03 p.m.
Mel REID, Great Britain
Caroline MASSON, Germany
Anna NORDQVIST, Sweden

8:14 a.m./7:14 p.m.
Nasa HATAOKA, Japan
Jin Young KO, South Korea
Nelly KORDA, USA

8:25 a.m./7:25 p.m.
Brooke HENDERSON, Canada
Lexi THOMPSON, USA
Yuka SASO, Philippines

8:41 a.m./7:41 p.m.
Inbee PARK, South Korea
Lydia KO, New Zealand
Shanshan FENG, China

8:52 a.m./7:52 p.m.
Sanna NUUTINEN, Finland
Maria TORRES, Puerto Rico
Tiffany CHAN, Hong Kong

9:03 a.m./8:03 p.m.
Klara SPILKOVA, Czech Republic
Manon DE ROEY, Belgium
Christine WOLF, Austria

9:14 a.m./8:14 p.m.
Maha HADDIOUI, Morocco
Lucrezia COLOMBOTTO ROSSO, Italy
Daniela DARQUEA, Ecuador

9:25 a.m./8:25 p.m.
Nanna KOERSTZ MADSEN, Denmark
Aditi ASHOK, India
Giulia MOLINARO, Italy

9:36 a.m./8:36 p.m.
Wei-Ling HSU, Chinese Taipei
Azahara MUNOZ, Spain
Jodi EWART SHADOFF, Great Britain

9:47 a.m./8:47 p.m.
Xiyu LIN, China
Emily Kristine PEDERSEN, Denmark
Madelene SAGSTROM, Sweden

10:03 a.m./9:03 p.m.
Jessica KORDA, USA
Celine BOUTIER, France
Gaby LOPEZ, Mexico Gaby Mexico

10:14 a.m./9:14 p.m.
Minjee LEE, Australia
Patty TAVATANAKIT, Thailand
Sophia POPOV, Germany

10:25 a.m./9:25 p.m.
Ariya JUTANUGARN, Thailand
Hyojoo KIM, South Korea
Carlota CIGANDA, Spain

10:36 a.m./9:36 p.m.
Danielle KANG, USA
Hannah GREEN, Australia
Sei Young KIM, South Korea

10:47 a.m./9:47 p.m.
Min LEE, Chinese Taipei
Stephanie MEADOW, Ireland
Perrine DELACOUR, France

10:58 a.m./9:58 p.m.
Mariajo URIBE, Colombia
Pia BABNIK, Slovenia
Magdalena SIMMERMACHER, Argentina

11:09 a.m./10:09 p.m.
Diksha DAGAR, India
Kim METRAUX, Switzerland
Tonje DAFFINRUD, Norway

ROUND 2
First Tee

7:30 a.m./6:30 p.m.
Nanna KOERSTZ MADSEN, Denmark
Aditi ASHOK, India
Giulia MOLINARO, Italy

7:41 a.m./6:41 p.m.
Wei-Ling HSU, Chinese Taipei
Azahara MUNOZ, Spain
Jodi EWART SHADOFF, Great Britain

7:52 a.m./6:52 p.m.
Xiyu LIN, China
Emily Kristine PEDERSEN, Denmark
Madelene SAGSTROM, Sweden

8:03 a.m./7:03 p.m.
Jessica KORDA, USA
Celine BOUTIER, France
Gaby LOPEZ, Mexico Gaby Mexico

8:14 a.m./7:14 p.m.
Minjee LEE, Australia
Patty TAVATANAKIT, Thailand
Sophia POPOV, Germany

8:25 a.m./7:25 p.m.
Ariya JUTANUGARN, Thailand
Hyojoo KIM, South Korea
Carlota CIGANDA, Spain

8:41 a.m./7:41 p.m.
Danielle KANG, USA
Hannah GREEN, Australia
Sei Young KIM, South Korea

8:52 a.m./7:52 p.m.
Min LEE, Chinese Taipei
Stephanie MEADOW, Ireland
Perrine DELACOUR, France

9:03 a.m./8:03 p.m.
Mariajo URIBE, Colombia
Pia BABNIK, Slovenia
Magdalena SIMMERMACHER, Argentina

9:14 a.m./8:14 p.m.
Diksha DAGAR, India
Kim METRAUX, Switzerland
Tonje DAFFINRUD, Norway

9:25 a.m./8:25 p.m.
Mone INAMI, Japan
Maria FASSI, Mexico
Albane VALENZUELA, Switzerland

9:36 a.m./8:36 p.m.
Kelly TAN, Malaysia
Alena SHARP, Canada
Anne VAN DAM, The Netherlands

9:47 a.m./8:47 p.m.
Leona MAGUIRE, Ireland
Bianca PAGDANGANAN, Philippines
Matilda CASTREN, Finland

10:03 a.m./9:03 p.m.
Mel REID, Great Britain
Caroline MASSON, Germany
Anna NORDQVIST, Sweden

10:14 a.m./9:14 p.m.
Nasa HATAOKA, Japan
Jin Young KO, South Korea
Nelly KORDA, USA

10:25 a.m./9:25 p.m.
Brooke HENDERSON, Canada
Lexi THOMPSON, USA
Yuka SASO, Philippines

10:36 a.m./9:36 p.m.
Inbee PARK, South Korea
Lydia KO, New Zealand
Shanshan FENG, China

10:47 a.m./9:47 p.m.
Sanna NUUTINEN, Finland
Maria TORRES, Puerto Rico
Tiffany CHAN, Hong Kong

10:58 a.m./9:58 p.m.
Klara SPILKOVA, Czech Republic
Manon DE ROEY, Belgium
Christine WOLF, Austria

11:09 a.m./10:09 p.m.
Maha HADDIOUI, Morocco
Lucrezia COLOMBOTTO ROSSO, Italy
Daniela DARQUEA, Ecuador

The post Tokyo Olympics women’s tee times: Starting times and pairings for the first and second rounds appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Daniel Rapaport
There is not much about the life of a tour pro that a layperson can relate to. Joe Average cannot hit a 200-yard 6-iron or nip a spinner off a tight lie. He has never flown on a private jet. He does not get recognized. The superstar life is, in most contexts, a hyper-specific experience.

And yet, underneath the wealth and fame lie normal people with normal human emotions—like wanting to make your pop’s dream come true. Of course, Xander Schauffele wanted to win an Olympic gold medal for himself. But he really, really wanted to win one for his dad, Stefan, whose own Olympic decathlon aspirations died when his car was struck by a drunk driver.

On Sunday, the younger Schauffele did what his dad never could: He won gold. And he did so in Japan, where his mother grew up and his grandparents still live. An up-and-down par from 98 yards on the final hole capped off a final-round 67, which was good for a one-shot victory over Rory Sabbatini of Slovakia—well, at least recently “of Slovakia”—who closed with a brilliant 61 hours before the leaders headed for the home stretch. C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei took the bronze after winning a seven-man, four-hole playoff.

“It’s special,” Schauffele said. “That’s a word that’s thrown around a lot, especially for us golfers. I mean it’s so different for us, we’re used to playing for money and we play a normal schedule, and this is every four years and it’s just kind of a different feel to it. And you’re wearing your country’s colours and everyone’s just trying to represent to the best of their ability. So it does have that sort of special and different feel.

“To have my dad here as well is really special. I gave him a hug off the back of the green there. I know this means a lot to him, so I’m just happy to sort of deliver this.”

MORE: The clubs Xander Schauffele used to win Olympic gold

This was quite a day for the tightly-knit Schauffele clan. Stefan is the only golf coach Xander’s ever had. He is a ubiquitous presence at PGA Tour events, often wearing linen shirts and fashionable hats that would play quite well in the Hamptons. The Schauffele boys emanate a sense of California chill—Xander grew up near San Diego—and Xander needed every bit of that calmness on Sunday, when in an instant a stroll to glory morphed into a struggle for survival.

Schauffele began the day with a one-shot lead over local hero Hideki Matsuyama, seeking to cement himself in Japanese lore by adding a home gold to his green jacket. The American played the first five holes in three under and briefly led by as many as four shots before Sabbatini kept on pushing the tempo. He wasn’t the only one; nine of the 60 players in the field shot 65 or better, including a 63 from Collin Morikawa and a 65 from Justin Thomas. This was major championship pressure with John Deere scoring.

MORE: How Rory Sabbatini, born in South Africa and living in South Florida, won silver for … Slovakia

His cushion was down to one as Schauffele stepped to the last par 5 at Kasumigaseki Country Club, the reachable 14th. He fanned his first drive into a forest well right of the fairway. Provisional time. As one does, he over-compensated and badly hooked his re-load. Every golfer’s been there. Your first drive might be lost, and the provisional wasn’t much better. Just like that, a round-busting big number has entered the picture.

Xander Schauffele’s father/swing coach, Stefan, was an aspiring Olympian whose dreams ended after being hit by a drunk driver. Keyur Khamar

Schauffele owes a great deal to whoever found his original ball, for he wouldn’t have the gold medal around his neck if not for that person. With the ball located, Schauffele was able to take an unplayable lie, punch back into play, punch out again into the fairway, then get up-and-down for the best bogey of his life. Still, his lead had fully evaporated, and a swaggering Matsuyama was a single shot behind.

Ultimately, Matsuyama’s chances faded by way of body blows: a three-putt bogey at 15, missing a good birdie look at 16 and missing another at the drivable par-4 17th. After watching Matusyama’s birdie effort miss left on 17, Schauffele poured his right in the centre to reclaim his lead for good over Sabbatini.

MORE: Justin Thomas calls the Olympics ‘the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of’

Schauffele wasn’t out of the woods yet, though, for his very next shot quite literally found the woods. Schauffele missed well right again on the par-4 18 and then inquired about a drop—he wanted line-of-sight relief from a scoreboard, but the scoreboard was directly behind a whole bunch of trees, so his inquiry was met with an “absolutely not.” (You can’t fault the man for thinking creatively.) Next came a punch out to the fairway, which meant he had to get up-and-down to avoid a playoff with Sabbatini. His third landed well past the pin but spun niftily back to three feet.

“I was trying so hard to just stay calm,” Schauffele said. “Hit a terrible drive on 18, had to make a sort of sloppy par and fortunately hit it close enough to sort of have a high percentage putt at roughly four, five feet. But, man, it was stressful. And I made that putt, and it was just a huge weight lifted off my shoulders and just very relieved and happy, of course.”

Xander Schauffele looks at his prize during the medal ceremony. Chris Trotman

Ah yes, that weight. It’s there because Schauffele has steadily accumulated scar tissue from so many near-misses. His last victory on the PGA Tour came in January 2019, and he’s been candid about how frustrated he’s been at his inability to get the job done. Technically speaking, that victory drought persists, for this was not a PGA Tour event. It was much more than that. Closing the deal to win gold will have Xander Schauffele feeling like he’s ended his runner-up chapter—and Stefan Schauffele finally feeling Olympic glory, even if it’s vicarious in nature.

“I felt like I was out there playing,” Stefan told Golf Channel, holding back tears. “No, I’m not that good. You’re very proud. I think the real moment where the emotions come to the surface will be on the podium, when the anthem plays. Talking about this previously, I got choked up. I know that’s going to be a big moment. Very proud.”

The post What makes Xander Schauffele’s harrowing Olympic win such a golden moment appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Daniel Rapaport
He claims this was never the plan—that his decision to take up Slovakian citizenship was motivated by benevolence, not a shortcut to winning an Olympic medal. Which, after a brilliant Sunday at Kasumigaseki Country Club, he has done. Silver, to be exact. Rory Sabbatini’s 10-under 61 saw him finish one shot behind Xander Schauffele, who got up-and-down from 98 yards on the 18th hole to win the gold for the United States.

“It sounds quite amazing,” Sabbatini said of will a medal. “It doesn’t sound like it belongs to me. But crazy game this sport we play. So somehow found that golden egg today and I managed to get something achieved, which I didn’t was possible after yesterday.”

MORE: What makes Xander Schauffele’s harrowing Olympic win such a golden moment

For Sabbatini, the medal is the culmination of a peculiar journey that started back in 2018. Born and raised in South Africa, the PGA Tour veteran now lives in South Florida and is a U.S. citizen, as well as holding a U.K. passport. So where does Slovakia come into the picture? Sabbbatini got married to a Slovakian woman named Martina Stofanikova. Her cousin, Rastislav Antala, then the vice president of the Slovak Golf Association—he has since been promoted to president—floated the idea to his cousin-in-law.

“To support her, to support our stepson, getting my Slovak citizenship is important to them as well as her getting her U.S. citizenship,” Sabbatini said in January 2019, shortly after he received his Slovakian citizenship. “The added benefit was her cousin is the director of golf development in Slovakia, and we thought this was an opportunity to bring more kids into the game of golf because they really haven’t had exposure on a national stage to follow golf.”

“This decision was never made to play in the Olympics. This decision was made to support my wife and stepson and to open the door for golf development in Slovakia,” he said. “I didn’t even know I would be eligible.”

Indeed, under Olympic rules, an athlete with dual citizenship can which country he represents.

MORE: Justin Thomas calls the Olympics ‘the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of’

Still, the move was widely seen as a strategic one—Sabbatini, a six-time PGA Tour winner who turned 45 in April, would have a much tougher time qualifying for the South African Olympic team. But Slovakia? The nation has just 9,000 golfers and 26 courses. After Sabbatini, who is ranked No. 204, the highest ranked Slovakian is Petr Vasalek at No. 848. He’d waltz onto the team, which is exactly what happened. It quickly became an easy punchline on Golf Twitter; Brendan Porath, a Golf Digest editor and host of the Shotgun Start podcast, gave him the nickname “the Boy from Bratislava.”

The nickname stuck, but the Slovakia storyline didn’t get much play through the first three rounds in Tokyo. Sabbatini simply wasn’t a factor. He began Sunday seven shots behind the lead and five shots out of the medal contention. He then produced the best round in the (rather short) history of Olympic golf, a 61 with an eagle and 10 birdies—including on the final two holes—to post 17-under 267 and take the clubhouse lead hours before the leaders would finish.

Rory Sabbatini celebrates his closing 61 with his wife/caddie Martina. Chris Trotman

“You know, it’s just, it’s funny, because I was out there today and I kept just trying to remind myself, OK, don’t think ahead, don’t think ahead, just enjoy the moment that you’re in because you don’t know what it’s going to end, just enjoy every hole as it comes,” Sabbatini said. “It just seemed like every time I kind of had a hiccup out there I was like, oh, maybe this is the end of the run, but OK. And then all of a sudden, I kicked back into gear. So it was a lot of fun and it was just one of those rare days that you have on the golf course.”

The round finished with a fitting image: with the ball still a few feet from the hole, Sabbatini began aggressively fist-pumping. After it fell, Martina, his tie to his adopted nation and his caddie this week in Japan, jumped in joy.

MORE: The clubs Xander Schauffele used to win the gold medal at the Olympics

The post How Rory Sabbatini, born in South Africa and living in South Florida, medaled at the Olympics … for Slovakia appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Daniel Rapaport
A number of golf’s superstars have viewed these Olympics as something of an obligation. With no fans and onerous COVID-19 restrictions in place, plenty opted to skip the trip to Tokyo altogether. Only six of the top 20 players in the World Ranking teed it up at Kasumigaseki Country Club. And the ones who did play didn’t sound too excited to be doing so.

And then something funny happened: They went, they tested, they played, and they had a helluva time.

“Being a part of something that’s completely different and bigger than me and even our sport in general, that’s a pretty cool thing,” Rory McIlroy said Friday. “So I didn’t know if this was going to be my only Olympics that I play or whatever and I’m already looking forward to Paris [Olympic host in 2024].”

On Sunday, despite not medaling, Justin Thomas gave a similarly glowing review of his experience.

“It’s just, it’s so different,” Thomas said after a six-under 65 to wrap up his week. “It was cooler than I thought it was. I’m more proud of being here than I thought I would be.

MORE: What makes Xander Schauffele’s harrowing Olympic win such a golden moment

“I thought I would be proud, but the first day or two I immediately found out that this is like the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of. The Ryder Cup is cool, the Presidents Cup’s cool, but this is just so different. I grew up watching the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup, the majors, and never grew up watching this, so no one was ever able to relay or say how it felt being an Olympian, especially a golfer. And so it was really—I was never hitting putts as an 8-, 10-year-old on the putting green to win the Olympics and win a gold medal. So I think when you don’t have the ability to dream something, when you get here it’s, it can sometimes just take you by surprise and this definitely exceeded that.”

Collin Morikawa concurred.

“One of the best experiences of your life,” the Open Championship winner said after a 63 on Sunday catapulted him into medal contention. “I’m walking away whether I get a medal or not, I’m an Olympian and that’s what I said from the beginning of the week. But I think what today brought out of me was more than just playing for myself I was playing for our country and I was able to fight and dig deep.”

Here’s to hoping these wholehearted endorsements of Olympic Golf—and an eventual return to normalcy—result in a more star-studded field in Paris 2024.

MORE: The clubs Xander Schauffele used to win the gold medal at the Olympics

The post Justin Thomas calls Olympics ‘the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

A Japanese golfer will hit the opening tee shot of the 2021 Olympic men’s golf tournament. Just not the Japanese golfer you might have expected.

The International Golf Federation has given the honour to Rikuya Hoshino when the men’s event begins on Thursday at Kasumigaseki Country Club at 7:30 a.m. local time (6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the U.S.). Hoshino will be playing in the threesome with Thomas Pieters of Belgium and Sepp Straka of Austria.

Meanwhile, the other Japanese men’s golf in the field—Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama—goes off at 8:41 a.m. local time (7:41 p.m. Wednesday in the U.S.) alongside Australia’s Marc Leishman and Canada’s Corey Conners.

As for the four Americans competing in the men’s event, Xander Schauffele tees off at 7:14 p.m. Wednesday night U.S. time, with Justin Thomas following him at 7:25 p.m. Collin Morikawa goes out at 9:25 p.m. in arguably the marquee pairing of the first two days as he plays Rory McIlroy and Sungjae Im. Patrick Reed is last off for the Americans (9:36 p.m.)

Here are the complete tee times for Rounds 1 and 2:

ROUND 1 (Japan time/EDT)

7:30 a.m./6:30 p.m.
Rikuya HOSHINO, Japan
Thomas PIETERS, Belgium
Sepp STRAKA, Austria

7:41 a.m./6:41 p.m.
Adri ARNAUS, Spain
Sami VALIMAKI, Finland
Matthias SCHWAB, Austria

7:52 a.m./6:52 p.m.
Sebastian MUNOZ, Colombia
Henrik NORLANDER, Sweden
Joachim B. HANSEN, Denmark

8:03 a.m./7:03 p.m.
Carlos ORTIZ, Mexico
Antonie ROZNER, France
Guido MIGLIOZZI, Italy

8:14 a.m./7:14 p.m.
Xander SCHAUFFELE, USA
Abraham ANCER, Mexico
Christiaan BEZUIDENHOUT, South Africa

8:25 a.m./7:25 p.m.
Justin THOMAS, USA
Jaoquin NIEMANN, Chile
Paul CASEY, Great Britain

8:41 a.m./7:41 p.m.
Hideki MATSUYAMA, Japan
Marc LEISHMAN, Australia
Corey CONNERS, Canada

8:52 a.m./7:52 p.m.
C.T. PAN, Chinese Taipei
Ryan FOX, New Zealand
Anirban LAHIRI, India

9:03 a.m./8:03 p.m.
Hurly LONG, Germany
Yechun YUAN, China
Gavin GREEN, Malasya

9:14 a.m./8:14 p.m.
K.K. JOHANNESSEN, Norway
Adrian MERONK, Poland
Gunn CHAROENKUL, Thailand

9:25 a.m./8:25 p.m.
Rory SABBATINI, Slovakia
Mito PEREIRA, Chile
Renato PARATORE, Italy

9:36 a.m./8:36 p.m.
Jhonattan VEGAS, Venezuela
Thomas DETRY, Belgium
Kalle SAMOOJA, Finland

9:47 a.m./8:47 p.m.
Mackenzie HUGHES, Canada
Alex NOREN, Sweden
Jazz JANEWATTANANOND, Thailand

10:03 a.m./9:03 p.m.
Rasmus HOJGAARD, Denmark
Romain LANGASQUE, France
Si Woo Kim, South Korea

10:14 a.m./9:14 p.m.
Viktor HOVLAND, Norway
Cameron SMITH, Australia
Garrick HIGGO, South Africa

10:25 a.m./9:25 p.m.
Collin MORIKAWA, USA
Rory McILROY, Ireland
Sungjae IM, South Korea

10:36 a.m./9:36 p.m.
Patrick REED, USA
Tommy FLEETWOOD, Great Britain
Shane LOWRY, Ireland

10:47 a.m./9:47 p.m.
Rafael CAMPOS, Puerto Rico
Max KIEFFER, Germany
Ashun WU, China

10:58 a.m./9:58 p.m.
Fabrizio ZANOTTI, Paraguay
Juvic PAGUNSAN, Philippines
Scott VINCENT, Zimbabwe

11:09 a.m./10:09 p.m.
Udayan MANE, India
Ondrej LIESER, Czech Republic
Jorge CAMPILLO, Spain

ROUND 2

7:30 a.m./6:30 p.m.
Rory SABBATINI, Slovakia
Mito PEREIRA, Chile
Renato PARATORE, Italy

7:41 a.m./6:41 p.m.
Jhonattan VEGAS, Venezuela
Thomas DETRY, Belgium
Kalle SAMOOJA, Finland

7:52 a.m./6:52 p.m.
Mackenzie HUGHES, Canada
Alex NOREN, Sweden
Jazz JANEWATTANANOND, Thailand

8:03 a.m./7:03 p.m.
Rasmus HOJGAARD, Denmark
Romain LANGASQUE, France
Si Woo Kim, South Korea

8:14 a.m./7:14 p.m.
Viktor HOVLAND, Norway
Cameron SMITH, Australia
Garrick HIGGO, South Africa

8:25 a.m./7:25 p.m.
Collin MORIKAWA, USA
Rory McILROY, Ireland
Sungjae IM, South Korea

8:41 a.m./7:41 p.m.
Patrick REED, USA
Tommy FLEETWOOD, Great Britain
Shane LOWRY, Ireland

8:52 a.m./7:52 p.m.
Rafael CAMPOS, Puerto Rico
Max KIEFFER, Germany
Ashun WU, China

9:03 a.m./8:03 p.m.
Fabrizio ZANOTTI, Paraguay
Juvic PAGUNSAN, Philippines
Scott VINCENT, Zimbabwe

9:14 a.m./8:14 p.m.
Udayan MANE, India
Ondrej LIESER, Czech Republic
Jorge CAMPILLO, Spain

9:25 a.m./8:25 p.m.
Rikuya HOSHINO, Japan
Thomas PIETERS, Belgium
Sepp STRAKA, Austria

9:36 a.m./8:36 p.m.
Adri ARNAUS, Spain
Sami VALIMAKI, Finland
Matthias SCHWAB, Austria

9:47 a.m./8:47 p.m.
Sebastian MUNOZ, Colombia
Henrik NORLANDER, Sweden
Joachim B. HANSEN, Denmark

10:03 a.m./9:03 p.m.
Carlos ORTIZ, Mexico
Antonie ROZNER, France
Guido MIGLIOZZI, Italy

10:14 a.m./9:14 p.m.
Xander SCHAUFFELE, USA
Abraham ANCER, Mexico
Christiaan BEZUIDENHOUT, South Africa

10:25 a.m./9:25 p.m.
Justin THOMAS, USA
Jaoquin NIEMANN, Chile
Paul CASEY, Great Britain

10:36 a.m./9:36 p.m.
Hideki MATSUYAMA, Japan
Marc LEISHMAN, Australia
Corey CONNERS, Canada

10:47 a.m./9:47 p.m.
C.T. PAN, Chinese Taipei
Ryan FOX, New Zealand
Anirban LAHIRI, India

10:58 a.m./9:58 p.m.
Hurly LONG, Germany
Yechun YUAN, China
Gavin GREEN, Malasya

11:09 a.m./10:09 p.m.
K.K. JOHANNESSEN, Norway
Adrian MERONK, Poland
Gunn CHAROENKUL, Thailand

The post Tokyo Olympics men’s tee times: Starting times and pairings for the first and second round appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
A second major champion in men’s golf has tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t be able to compete in this week’s Olympic men’s tournament.

The International Golf Federation announced on Sunday that Jon Rahm was in the midst of the final testing protocol before leaving for Tokyo when he tested positive. According to the Spanish Olympic Committee, this was Rahm’s third test taken before travelling. Because of the positive test, the reigning U.S. Open champion and top-ranked golfer in the world will not be able to compete for Spain.

The news on Rahm came roughly six hours after the IGF announced that Bryson DeChambeau of the U.S. had tested positive and would have to withdraw from the Olympics as well.

Rahm’s positive test comes less than two months after the 26-year-old Spaniard tested positive for COVID while playing in the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament. Rahm was in the tour’s testing protocol at the time, testing negative on a daily basis and thus allowed to compete in the tournament. He had built up six-stroke lead at the end of the third round when the PGA Tour informed him that he had tested positive and would be forced to withdraw from the event.

Rahm subsequently was vaccinated and came back with negative test results ahead of the U.S. Open two weeks later, was cleared to play by the USGA under its health protocols, and went on win his first career major at Torrey Pines.

While the U.S. said it would replace DeChambeau with another American, Patrick Reed, the Spanish Olympic Committee announced it would not have a replacement for Rahm due to the fact it did not have “adequate time” to find a replacement and comply with the necessary health protocols required. Spain, thus, will only be represented only by Adri Arnaus in the men’s competition, which begins Thursday at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kasahata, Saitama, Japan, about 35 miles northwest of downtown Tokyo.

To replace Rahm, the IGF stated that it will use its Late Replacement Policy to find the next available athlete, but did not say who that golfer is at this time.

MORE: Two golfers serve as flagbearers during Opening Ceremony in Tokyo

The post Jon Rahm joins Bryson DeChambeau in withdrawing from the Olympics after positive COVID test appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to begin in late July following a one-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the global event will be closed off to the rest of the world.

After weeks of rumours and reports, organisers officially announced the Summer Games will not allow international spectators.

“Currently, the COVID-19 situation in Japan and many other countries around the world is still very challenging and a number of variant strains have emerged, whilst international travel remains severely restricted globally,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement Saturday. “Based on the present situation of the pandemic, it is highly unlikely that entry into Japan will be guaranteed this summer for people from overseas. In order to give clarity to ticket holders living overseas and to enable them to adjust their travel plans at this stage, the parties on the Japanese side have come to the conclusion that they will not be able to enter into Japan at the time of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“This conclusion will further contribute to ensure safe and secure games for all participants and the Japanese public.”

It was a joint decision made by the Tokyo local government, the Tokyo Organizing Committee and the government of Japan, and reflected the overall sentiment of the Japanese public. Close to 80 percent of the country’s population opposed hosting fans from overseas due to COVID-19 risks, with a similar percentage wanting the games to be cancelled or delayed further.

“The fact that spectators are not able to attend the games from abroad—that is very disappointing and it’s regrettable. It was an unavoidable decision,” said Seiko Hashimoto, a former Olympian and president of the Tokyo Olympic committee. “However, the essentials of the Games will remain unchanged, as athletes give their utmost and inspire the world with transcendent performances. We are currently working on specific plans to share support remotely from around the world and help bring people together in ways suited to our current times. Even if you are no longer able to come to Japan this summer, we hope very much that you will continue to support the Tokyo 2020 Games.”

Golf will make its second appearance at the Summer Olympics following a 112-year absence from the Games. However, World No. 1 Dustin Johnson has already withdrawn from consideration and former U.S. Open champ Webb Simpson has also signalled he may not participate. This has sparked worry the 2021 games will suffer the same fate as the 2016 competition, which was passed on by most of the sport’s best players.

The men’s competition at the 2021 Summer Olympics begins July 29 at Kasumigaseki C.C., just outside Tokyo, Japan. Justin Rose is the defending gold medal winner. The women’s competition begins Aug. 4, with Inbee Park as the defending champion.

The post 2021 Olympics bans international spectators appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
The phrase, “It’s a fluid situation,” has emerged as the unofficial motto of sports leagues throughout the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, the 2020 Olympics became the latest big event to make a quick change in plans.

Less than a day after the International Olympic Committee announced it was giving itself a four-week window to decide the fate of the 2020 Olympics, longtime committee member Dick Pound says a decision has been made to move back the Tokyo Summer Games.

“On the basis of the information, the IOC has, the postponement has been decided,” Pound told USA Today’s Christine Brennan. “The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.”

Pound also told USA Today he expects an official announcement to be rolled out soon.

“It will come in stages,” Pound added. “We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense.”

Sunday’s statement, which followed a conference call with the IOC executive board, revealed an outright cancellation of the event was not an option. Pound indicated it would not take place until 2021, but details are still to be worked out.

Since Sunday’s statement, both Canada and Australia announced they wouldn’t send any athletes to the Games this year, while calling for the Olympics to move to 2021.

The men’s Olympic golf tournament is currently scheduled for July 30-Aug. 2 at Kasumigaseki Country Club, with the women’s tournament taking place a week later at the same venue. But again, both look unlikely to be played as planned.

Golf returned to the Summer Games at the 2020 Olympics in Rio. England’s Justin Rose and South Korea’s Inbee Park are the reigning gold medal winners.

The post IOC official says 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be postponed appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Dustin Johnson is withdrawing himself from consideration for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Johnson’s manager David Winkle confirmed the decision, which was first reported by Golfweek.

Johnson, currently the No. 5 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, had previously expressed apprehension about playing the Summer Games earlier this year at the Saudi International.

“Schedule is always a big part of your season. You sit down at the beginning of the year just to kind of see, what events fall where,” Johnson said. “Representing the United States in the Olympics is something that I definitely would be proud to do, but is it going to fit in the schedule properly? I’m not really sure about that.

“There are so many events that are right there and leading up to it. So, you know, I’m still working with my team to figure out what’s the best thing for me to do.”

According to Winkle, Johnson is skipping Japan to focus on the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Johnson also passed on golf’s return to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, citing zika concerns.

The International Golf Federation uses the Official World Golf Rankings to create the Olympic Golf Rankings to determine eligibility. The top-15 players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Johnson is ranked fifth in the world, and the third highest-ranked American, so he would currently be on the U.S. team.

Beyond the top 15, players will be eligible based on the Olympic rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15. The qualification period ends June 22, the Monday after the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Golf remains a trial sport in the Summer Games, with a guaranteed spot in 2020 and a likely appearance in 2024, but the International Olympic Committee has not committed further. The men’s competition begins on July 30 at Japan’s Kasumigaseki Country Club. Justin Rose is the defending gold medallist.

The post Dustin Johnson to skip 2020 Tokyo Olympics appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
Making a memorable return to the Olympics in 2016 after an 112-year absence, golf will be part of the Summer Games again this July in Tokyo. Both the men’s and women’s Olympic competitions will be 72-hole stroke-play tournaments held at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kasahata, Saitama, Japan, about 35 miles northwest of downtown Tokyo. As was the case four years ago in Rio, the field in both events will consist of 60 players representing their respective home countries.

But how will those Olympic fields be determined? Or more to the point for some people, will Tiger Woods be playing for the United States this summer? The answer is … maybe. It all depends on where Woods ranks in the Olympic Golf Rankings on the final date of qualifying in June—or more specifically where he ranks in relations to the other eligible American golfers.

To help understand the Olympic qualification process, we’ve outlined the rules below as well as listed what the field would look like as of the most recently publication of the Olympic Golf Rankings (Jan. 27). We’ll update this list periodically to keep you up to speed on who is in and who is out of the Tokyo Olympics ahead of the actual final deadline for eligibility. (Spoiler: Woods WOULD BE eligible to play if qualifying ended this week.)

So here goes: The same qualification rules apply for both the men’s and women’s Olympics fields. The top 15 players in the Olympic Golf Rankings (which essentially mirror the Official World Golf Ranking for men and the Rolex Rankings for women) will be eligible for the Olympics up to a maximum of four golfers per country. The four-player max is perhaps the biggest hurdle for Woods’ effort to qualify for the Olympics as he has to make sure he’s not only in the top 15 overall in the rankings, but also that he’s one of the top four ranked Americans to secure a spot.

After the top 15, the field will be filled until getting to 60 golfers by going down the Olympic Golf Ranking, with the top two ranked players qualifying from any country that does not have two or more players from the top 15. The host country, Japan, is also guaranteed at least two golfers in the field.

Here then is a country by country breakdown of the players that would be in the Olympics if the cut off were this week (men’s qualifying ends on June 22, the day after the U.S. Open; women’s qualifying ends June 29). The men’s competition will be held July 30-Aug. 2; the women’s Aug. 5-8.

MEN (World Ranking in parenthesis)

Argentina
Emiliano Grillo (119)
Fabian Gomez (245)

Australia
Adam Scott (15)
Marc Leishman (20)
Next in line: Cameron Smith (34), Jason Day (44), Lucas Herbert (79)

Austria
Bernd Wiesberger (22)
Matthias Schwab (78)
Next in line: Sepp Straka (170)

Belgium
Thomas Pieters (83)
Thomas Detry (117)
Next in line: Nicolas Colsaerts (183)

Canada
Adam Hadwin (52)
Corey Conners (61)
Next in line: Nick Taylor (236)

Chile
Joaquin Niemann (62)

China
Haotong Li (75)
Xinjun Zhang (138)

Chinese Taipei
C.T. Pan (77)

Colombia|
Sebastian Munoz (103)

Denmark
Lucas Bjerregaard (91)
Thorbjorn Olesen (114)
Next in line: Joachim B. Hansen (166)

Finland
Mikko Korhonen (144)
Kalle Samooja (187)

France
Victor Perez (41)
Michael Lorenzo-Vera (64)
Next in line: Benjamin Hebert (93), Romain Langasque (109)

Germany
Martin Kaymer (113)
Sebastian Heisele (202)

Great Britain
Justin Rose (8)
Tommy Fleetwood (10)
Next in line: Paul Casey (19), Matthew Fitzpatrick (25), Lee Westwood (29), Danny Willett (31), Tyrrell Hatton (33)

India
Rashid Khan (176)

Ireland
Rory McIlroy (2)
Shane Lowry (18)
Next in line: Graeme McDowell (104)

Italy
Francesco Molinari (23)
Andrea Pavan (81)
Next in line: Guido Migliozzi (123), Francesco Laporta (124)

Japan
Hideki Matsuyama (24)
Shugo Imahira (36)
Next in line: Ryo Ishikawa (80)

Malaysia
Gavin Kyle Green (197)

Mexico
Abraham Ancer (30)
Carlos Ortiz (150)

Netherlands
Joost Luiten (90)
Darius Van Driel (193)

New Zealand
Danny Lee (97)
Ryan Fox (154)

Norway
Viktor Hovland (94)
Kristoffer Ventura (182)

The Philippines
Miguel Tabuena (232)

Poland
Adrian Meronk (234)

Slovakia
Rory Sabbatini (88)

South Africa
Louis Oosthuizen (14)
Erik van Rooyen (46)
Next in line: Shaun Norris (57), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (60), Branden Grace (74), Justin Harding (82)

South Korea
Sungjae Im (35)
Byeong Hun An (49)
Next in line: Sung Kang (85)

Spain
Jon Rahm (3)
Sergio Garcia (42)
Next in line: Rafa Cabrere-Bello (45)

Sweden
Henrik Stenson (27)
Alex Noren (84)
Next in line: Marcus Kinhult (87)

Thailand
Jazz Janewattananond (38)
Kiradech Aphibarnrat (120)
Next in line: Gunn Chareonkul (126)

United States
Brooks Koepka (1)
Justin Thomas (4)
Dustin Johnson (5)
Tiger Woods (6)
Next in line: Patrick Cantlay (7), Xander Schauffele (9), Webb Simpson (11), Patrick Reed (12), Tony Finau (13)

Venezuela
Jhonattan Vegas (156)

Zimbabwe
Scott Vincent (134)

Scott Halleran
Silver medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand, gold medalist Inbee Park of Korea and bronze medalist Shanshan Feng of China pose after Women’s Golf competition at the 2016 Rio games.

WOMEN (Rolex Rankings in parenthesis)

Australia
Minjee Lee (9)
Hannah Green (22)
Next in line: Su-Hyun Oh (58), Katherine Kirk (113)

Austria
Christine Wolf (213)

Belgium
Manon De Roey (285)

Canada
Brooke Henderson (7)
Alena Sharp (111)
Next in line: Anne-Catherine Tanguay (327)

China
Shanshan Feng (23)
Yu Liu (35)
Next in line: Jing Yan (76)

Chinese Taipei
Teresa Lu (85)
Wei-Ling Hsu (98)

Colombia
Mariajo Uribe (168)

Czech Republic
Klara Spilkova (253)

Denmark
Nanna Koerstz Madsen (66)
Nicole Broch Larsen (74)

Ecuador
Daniela Darquea (186)

Finland
Sanna Nuutinen (296)
Ursula Wikstrom (303)

France
Celine Boutier (53)
Perrine Dela Cour (262)
Next in line: Celine Herbin (334), Karine Icher (407)

Germany
Caroline Masson (37)
Esther Henseleit (128)
Next in line: Olivia Cowan (163), Sandra Gal (173)

Great Britain
Charley Hull (26)
Bronte Law (32)
Next in line: Georgia Hall (40), Jodi Shadoff (87)

Hong Kong
Tiffany Chan (206)

India
Aditi Ashok (147)
Diksha Dagar (358)

Ireland
Stephanie Meadow (228)
Leona Maguire (259)

Israel
Laetitia Beck (379)

Italy
Giulia Molinaro (234)

Japan
Nasa Hataoka (4)
Hinako Shibuno (11)
Ai Suzuki (14)
Next in line: Mone Inami (57), Yui Kawamoto (59), Momoko Ueda (62)

Mexico
Gaby Lopez (43)
Maria Fassi (298)

The Netherlands
Anne van Dam (97)

New Zealand
Lydia Ko (42)

Norway
Marianna Skarpnord (153)
Tonje Daffinrud (318)

Paraguay
Julieta Granada (324)

The Philippines
Yuka Saso (287)
Clariss Guce (295)

Puerto Rico
Maria Fernanda Torres (135)

Slovenia
Katja Pogacar (399)

South Africa
Ashleigh Buhai (106)
Lee-Anne Pace (310)

South Korea
Jin Young Ko (1)
Sung Hyun Park (2)
Sei Young Kim (6)
Jeongeun Lee6 (8)
Next in line: Hyo-Joo Kim (12), Inbee Park (16), So Yeon Ryu (18), Amy Yang (20), Mi Hur (21)

Spain
Carlota Ciganda (15)
Azahara Munoz (44)
Next in line: Nuira Iturrioz (223)

Sweden
Madelene Sagstrom (55)
Anna Nordqvist (95)
Next in line: Caroline Hedwall (129)

Switzerland
Albane Valenzuela (403)

Thailand
Ariya Jutanugarn (13)
Moriya Jutanugarn (38)
Next in line: Pornanong Phatlum (86)

United States
Nelly Korda (3)
Danielle Kang (5)
Lexi Thompson (10)
Next in line: Jessica Korda (17), Lizette Salas (19), Brittany Altomare (28), Marina Alex (33), Angel Yin (41)

The post Olympic Golf 2020: How players qualify to compete in Tokyo (and the latest rankings) appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.