A sport that dates back to the 15th Century, Golf was part of the Olympic Programme at the 1904 Games in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, when the United States and Canada were the only two competing countries. More than a century later, Golf will be played again at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. An indication of Golf’s globalisation since 1904 is that, in Rio, at least 30 countries are expected to be represented in both men and women competitions.
The athletes compete individually on grass fields that have different configurations. There are varied Golf courses leading to holes with orange-size diameter. The goal is to roll the ball into the hole with the fewer number of strikes as possible.
The proposed Olympic competition for both men and women is a 72-hole individual stroke play tournament, and the player with the lowest score wins the gold medal. In case of a tie for either first, second or third place, a three-hole playoff will determine the medal winner.
