“Am I frustrated, disappointed? Absolutely, those feelings are present.” Bryson DeChambeau had just secured victory at the U.S. Open – for the second time in his career – when these words were spoken during an interview on the Pat McAfee show. “There is nothing that would mean more to me than representing Team USA at the Olympics,” the LIV Golf professional later expressed on social media.
The Olympics’ qualification process posed obstacles for DeChambeau and many others. In the case of Golf, the IOC determined that only the top two players from each country would be eligible to participate, with the exception of four players if they were ranked within the top 15. Unfortunately, DeChambeau found himself as the sixth highest-ranked American player.
Similarly, Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick, who withdrew due to a thumb injury, were ranked higher than Tyrrell Hatton for Great Britain. Australia’s Cameron Smith ranked below Min Woo Lee and Jason Day. DeChambeau’s teammate, Anirban Lahiri of India, missed out on the opportunity as Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar held higher positions in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Only five players from LIV Golf’s top-25 managed to qualify for the Olympics. Even if LIV golfers received equal world ranking points as PGA Tour players, accommodating all the top players in the field would have been challenging.
For Team USA, the task of selecting players would have been even more difficult, as only a maximum of four players could have made the cut. Considering their exceptional form, it is hard to argue against the inclusion of Scottie Scheffler or Xander Schauffele.
Interestingly, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman did not take the same approach with the IOC as he did with major organizers, where he called for exemption from LIV’s season-long standings. The Great White Shark, who was in Paris at the time, wished the LIV contingent the best, concluding with “Bring home the medals boys!!” While Jon Rahm is a strong contender, none of them are pleased with how the IOC’s criteria exclude some of their colleagues.
Jon Rahm did not hide his dissatisfaction with the IOC’s arbitrary selection process. The Spaniard believed that each country should have the final say in choosing their players, similar to the selection process for the USA basketball team. However, this does not guarantee a spot for top players, as demonstrated by the Caitlin Clark saga during the Olympics training camp.
Nevertheless, it appears that LIV golfers would find some form of qualification process more acceptable than relying solely on the OWGR benchmark. Carlos Ortiz and Abraham Ancer both voiced their opinions against the IGF’s dependence on the OWGR, calling for more autonomy for the countries.
Xander Schauffele’s response to DeChambeau’s exclusion was more ambiguous. On the other hand, Rory McIlroy, while acknowledging that not all the best players are in the field, did not sympathize with LIV golfers. The Ulsterman believed that they made an informed decision. Shane Lowry, McIlroy’s teammate from Ireland, shared a similar perspective.
Photo by Bryson DeChambeau Instagram
