Golf returned to the Olympics in the 2016 Rio Summer games after a 112 year hiatus. The ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic caused the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to be rescheduled to this summer. As of now, the games are underway with no major issues arising. However, the Olympic Committee has warned that if an outbreak were to occur the games would be shut down immediately. With all Olympic events this year, no spectators will be allowed. The course was said to have a capacity of 25,000.
Golf in the Olympics is contentious as it isn’t truly the “peak” of the sport. While representing your country holds a special place in some guys hearts, most of the top golfers in the world have chosen to skip the event. Players skipping was also a trend back in 2016, with most of the players citing the Zika virus as the reason for not wanting to make the trip to Brazil. The PGA and European Tour have both tried to put pressure on players to attend but it hasn’t been effective. The biggest issue with scheduling, The Open was two weeks ago in England and now these guys have to fly to Tokyo, Japan if they want to compete in the Olympics. The PGA Tour doesn’t have an event next week however, the World Golf Championship is in two weeks.
Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim of South Korea, both dropped out of The Open to prep for the Olympics. All athletes from South Korea who win an Olympic medal are allowed to forgo a two-year military stint, which is mandatory for males between ages 18-28. So a spot on the podium means a little more for those two as they are looking to continue their careers on the PGA Tour without having a two year pause.
Notable withdraws/ Covid-19 Cases: Bryson Dechambeau (USA- COVID-19), Dustin Johnson (USA- Electing to Skip), Jon Rahm (Spain- COVID-19) Tyrell Hatton (Great Britain- Electing to Skip), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Great Britain- Electing to Skip), Lee Westwood (Great Britain- Electing to Skip), Sergio Garcia (Spain- Electing to Skip), Rafa Cabrera Bello (Spain- Electing to Skip), Adam Scott (Australia- Electing to Skip), Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa- Electing to Skip), Henrik Stenson (Sweden- Failed to Qualify), Bernd Wiesberger (Austria- Electing to Skip), Martin Kaymer (Germany – Electing to Skip), Emiliano Grillo (Argentina- Electing to Skip)
Olympic History (1900, 1904, 2016, 2020*):
Golf at the Olympics was first introduced at the 1900 Summer Olympics that were held in Paris, France. The event was a 36-hole stroke play tournament at the Compiegne Club. The Compiegne Club Golf Club was built in 1896 and was one of the only courses built outside of Great Britain or Ireland in the 19th century. The golf course was designed by M.W. Freemantle and located inside the horse racing track in Compiegne. Charles Sands from the United States took home the gold medal defeating Walter Rutherford of Great Britain by one stroke. The 1900 Olympics was the first Olympics that women were able to compete in. Margaret Abbot of the United States won the gold medal and became the first woman to win a gold medal in the Olympic games. Margaret’s mother, Mary Abbott, also competed in the event and finished seventh, making them the first and only mother and daughter that have competed in the same event at the same time. Margaret Abbott actually didn’t even know she won an Olympic Medal at the time and just happened to compete at the event because she was coincidently in Paris at the time.
In 1904, the Summer Olympics took place in Saint Louis, Missouri. The golf event was held at Glen Echo Country Club and featured a much different format than in 1900. The 1904 tournament started with a 36-hole stroke play qualifying round. The top 32 qualifies out of the 75 participants then faced off in a 5 round match play tournament with each match consisting of 36 holes. The rounds were played on consecutive days so the finalists, George Lyon and Chandler Egan ended up playing 216 holes in six days. George Lyon of Canada bested Chandler Egan of the US to win the golf medal. He was one of three players participating in the event that wasn’t from the US.
Golf was set to continue at the 1908 Summer Olympics in Great Britain but issues arose between the The Royal & Ancients and the Olympic Golf Committee. The cause of the issue remains unknown and golf was no long an Olympic event before making it’s return in 2016 at the Summer Games in Rio De Janeiro.
The 2016 Rio Olympics were a mess to say the least, with the course barely being completed on time. Most of the holes didn’t have yardage markers on them. Many of the worlds top golfers withdrew due to the Zika Virus. It featured a traditional format with a 72-hole individual stroke play tournament. Justin Rose of Great Britain won the event in the men’s competition.
Future venues for the Summer Olympics include:
- 2024: Paris (Golf National)
- 2028: Los Angeles (Riviera Country Club)
Tournament Information:
- Dates: July 29, 2021- August 1, 2021
- Location: Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan
- Course: Kasumigaseki Country Club – East Course
- Par: 71 (4x 3’s / 11x 4’s / 3x 5’s)
- Length: 7,447 yards
- Format: 72 hole stroke play
- Field/ Cut: 60 Players | No Cut
- Greens: Bentgrass
- Fairways: Bentgrass
- Purse: N/A
- Slope: 131
- Rating: 74.9
- Stimpmeter: 9-10 (Average / Slightly Slower)
- Green Size: Large
- Water Hazards: 2 Ponds (only present on 3 Holes)
- Bunkers/ Waste Area: Plentiful, thick Zoysia grass
Qualification Process:
The Qualification for the Olympics is quite different than the PGA or any other Professional Tour. The official qualifying period ended the day after the U.S. Open, June 21. So here’s how it works, the Top 15 Golfers in the Olympic Golf Rankings (basically the World Golf Rankings) are eligible for the Olympics up to a maximum of four golfers per country. Once the top 15 are selected, the rest of the field is filled until getting to 60 golfers going down the order in the Olympic Golf Rankings. The top two golfers qualify from any country that does not have two or more players in from the top 15. As the host country, Japan is guaranteed a minimum of two golfers in the field. If a player declines the invitation, the next eligible golfer from that country can take that spot.
The Kasumigaseki Country Club was founded in 1929 and has hosted several professional and amateur tournaments. The course itself is located about 35 miles from downtown Tokyo. Site of the 1957 World Cup that Japan won and launched them into the international golf world. Kasumigaseki Country Club has two courses, an East and a West. The club is extremely private and a somewhat controversial choice to host a Olympic Event due to it’s policies. Prior to 2017, the club did not award full membership and playing rights to female members. However that was changed due to pressure from the International Olympic Committee. The Kasumigaseki Country Club was the first ever 36-hole golf course in Japan and the first to implement dual greens – a feature unique to courses in Japan. The double greens are used for the change in seasons with one being used in summer and they other during winter.
Tom Fazio and his son Logan completely redesigned this course five years ago to what we think off as a modern course now. During that modernization, they added nearly 400 yards to the course rewarding the long ball hitter. They also got rid of the traditional double greens, and reconfigured the fairways and bunkers.
Hideki Matsuyama who’s competing for Japan, won the Asian Amateur Championships at Kasumigaseki Country Club back in 2010.
Course Breakdown:
From what I’ve heard/ read this course is in absolutely immaculate shape and manicured to to perfection. The weather in Tokyo has been mentioned a lot and will be a factor here. The current forecast is calling for low 90’s and extremely humid conditions. Let’s take a look at this golf course, starting with the tee shot. Unlike The Open which featured plenty of blind tee shots, every shot off the tee is visible which will help with the much needed accuracy off the tee. While water isn’t much of a factor, at all as it’s only in play on 3 holes, most fairways are lined with tree’s. Driving will be key this weekend, and will give the long hitters a slight advantage due to the length of this course. The fairway width was trimmed during the Fazio renovation to match the green shaping.
The course features three Par 5’s (Holes 5, 8, 14) with Hole 5 longest playing 640 yards which is insane. The other Par 5’s aren’t much better as Hole 8 is listed at 586 yards and Hole 14 plays 625 yards. All of the Par 3’s (Holes 4, 7, 10, 16) on the course play over 200 yards except for Hole 10 which is listed at 189 yards. The longest Par 3 is Hole 4, this hole is listed at 237 yards.
Professional Tournaments Previously Held at Course:
- Canada Cup (now the World Cup) 1957
- Japan Open 1933, 1956, 1995, 2006
- Japan Women’s Open 1999
- Japan Amateur Golf 1965, 1977
- Japan Women’s Amateur Golf 1956, 1964, 1974
- Asian Amateur Championship 2010
Course Architect/ Renovations/ Comparable Courses:
Course Architect: Hugh Alison (1929)
Renovated: Tom and Logan Fazio (2016)
Comparable Courses:
- Quail Hallow
- Firestone CC
- Shadow Creek
- Augusta
- The Concession GC
- Congaree
An interesting note with the time difference is that the actual tournament starts on July 29th, but for North American viewers the tournament will start on the evening of the 28th.
- Round 1: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 – Golf Channel– 6:30 PM- 3:00 AM EDT
- Round 2: Thursday, July 29, 2021 – Golf Channel – 6:30- 3:00 AM PM EDT
- Round 3: Friday, July 30, 2021 – Golf Channel – 6:30- 3:00 AM PM EDT
- Round 4: Saturday, July 31, 2021 – Golf Channel – 6:30- 3:00 AM PM EDT
- Replay: Sunday, August 1, 2021 – NBCSN* – 5:00 PM EDT
For all rounds of the tournament, the players will be in groups of three. Depending on pending confirmation from the Olympic Broadcasting Services, groups will either start on only Hole 1 or both Holes 1 and 10. For Rounds 1 and 2, the groups will be published on July 27, two days before the event. As with most tournaments, the groups for rounds 3 and 4 will be based off their cumulative score.
Weather:
- Thursday: Scattered Tstorms 91 F, 10 mp/h SSE, 65% Humidity, 40% Chance of Rain
- Friday: Scattered Tstorms 91, 9 mp/h SE, 65% Humidity, 50% Chance of Rain
- Saturday: Scattered Tstorms 91 F, 10 mp/h ESE, 65% Humidity, 50% Chance of Rain
- Sunday: Thunderstorms 90 F, 10 mp/h E, 68% Humidity, 70% Chance of Rain
Tournament Trends:
- None available
Key Statistics:
- Strokes Gained: Total
- Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass)
- Par 4 Scoring
- Good Drives Gained
- Recent Form
- Birdies or Better %
- Scrambling
Previous Winners & Prices:
- 2016 Rio Olympics
- Gold: Justin Rose (+1000)
- Silver: Henrik Stenson (+500)
- Bronze: Matt Kuchar (+1600)
Picks (Outright):
- Justin Thomas (+1100)
- Risk 0.7 to win 7.7 Units
- Hideki Matsuyama (+1400)
- Risk 0.55 to win 7.7 Units
- Patrick Reed (+1800)
- Risk 0.43 to win 7.74 Units
Total Risk on Top 20: 1.68 Units
Picks (Top 10):
- Sungjae Im (+230)
- Risk 0.5 to win 1.15 Units
- Anirban Lahiri (+1200)
- Risk 0.1 to win 1.2 Units
Total Risk on Top 20: 0.60 Units
Picks (Matchups TNT):
- C Smith (-105) over J Niemann
- Risk 1.05 to win 1.00
Total Risk on Matchups: 1.05 Units
Total Risk on Men’s Olympic Golf: 3.33 Units
Team Breakdowns (WGR):
- Australia
- Cameron Smith (28)
- Marc Leishman (43)
- Austria
- Matthias Schwab (118)
- Sepp Straka (174)
- Belgium
- Thomas Detry (94)
- Thomas Pieters (107)
- Canada
- Corey Conners (36)
- Mackenzie Hughes 63)
- Chile
- Joaquinn Niemann (31)
- Mito Pereira (146)
- China
- Yechun Yuan ()
- Ashun Wu (315)
- Columbia
- Sebastian Munoz (67)
- Czech Republic
- Ondrej Lieser (231)
- Denmark
- Rasmus Hojgaard (121)
- Joachim B. Hansen (151)
- Finland
- Kalle Samooja (117)
- Sami Valimaki (112)
- France
- Antoine Rozner (78)
- Roman Langasque (186)
- Germany
- Maximilian Kieffer (193)
- Hurly Long (263)
- Great Britain
- Paul Casey (20)
- Tommy Fleetwood (33)
- India
- Anirban Lahiri (340)
- Udayan Mane (356)
- Ireland
- Rory McIlroy (10)
- Shane Lowry (42)
- Italy
- Guido Migliozzi (72)
- Renato Paratore (180)
- Japan
- Hideki Matsuyama (16)
- Rikuya Hoshino (76)
- Malaysia
- Gavin Kyle Green (286)
- Mexico
- Abraham Ancer (23)
- Carlos Ortiz (53)
- New Zealand
- Ryan Fox (178)
- Norway
- Viktor Hovland (14)
- Kristian K Johannessen (292)
- Paraguay
- Fabrizio Zanotti (280)
- Philippines
- Juvic Pagunsan (216)
- Poland
- Adrian Meronk (189)
- Puerto Rico
- Rafael Campos (281)
- Slovakia
- Rory Sabbatini (167)
- South Africa
- Garrick Higgo (38)
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout (46)
- South Korea
- Sungjae Im (26)
- Si Woo Kim (49)
- Spain
- Jorge Campillo ()
- Adri Arnaus (147)
- Sweden
- Alex Noren (95)
- Henrik Norlander (136)
- Taiwan
- C.T. Pan (181)
- Thailand
- Jazz Janewattananond (129)
- Gunn Charoenkul (259)
- United States
- Justin Thomas (3)
- Collin Morikawa (4)
- Xander Schauffele (4)
- Patrick Reed (9)
- Venezuela
- Jhonattan Vegas (130)
- Zimbabwe
- Scott Vincent (239)
