Golf was first incorporated into the Asian Games in its ninth edition in the 1982 New Delhi Games. In the first two editions, only men could compete in the discipline before the women's events were included at the 1990 Beijing Games.
Venue and Schedule for Asian Games 2018
The Golf competition will be held from August 23 to August 26 at the Pondok Indah Golf Course, Jakarta.
Asian Games Golf 2018 Events
The 2018 Asian Games will witness four competitions of Golf, two each for men and women competitors. Both men’s and women’s categories will have individual and team events.
In the team events, each team will play 72-holes stroke over the three days with each day amounting to 18 holes.
Asian Games Golf Teams
In every event, each participating nation can play only amateur players. In the men's individual competition, each participating nation is allowed to play a maximum of four amateur golfers while the maximum number of participating golfers from each country will be three in the women's individual event. However, only two players can be qualified for the medals.
The men's teams will consist of three or four players and the total scores of the best three out of four golfers daily will be taken into account for the total team score. In case of the women’s teams competition, each nation can play two or three golfers and the total scores of the best two out of three players daily will be counted as the total team score.
In total, each participating nation can enter a maximum of four men and three women golfers.
2014 Asian Games Golf Results
At the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, Chinese Taipei dominated the men's events bagging gold both in the individual and the team's competition. Pan Cheng-tsung held off South Korea's Namhun Kim by two shots to secure the individual gold medal.
In the team event, Chinese Taipei saw off South Korea by seven shots to win their first team gold since the 2002 Asian Games.
Park Gyeol beat Thailand’s Budsabakorn Sukapan by two strokes to win South Korea's third consecutive gold medal in the women's individual event at the Asian Games. In the women's team event, Thailand captured the gold beating South Korea by six shots.
Favourites for Asian Games 2018 Golf
Currently ranked 14th on the World Amateur Golf Rankings list, Sodom Kaew Kanjana will be the favourite to win the men’s individual gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games. The highest ranked Asian player will be high in confidence after winning the Dutch International Junior Open in July 2018. China's Andy Zhang will also be in contention to capture the individual gold.
In the men’s team event, Thailand will be aiming to bag the gold after two of its golfers won the Asia-Pacific Golf Team Championship in November 2017 over its Asian Games rivals. South Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan will also fight for the glory in the team event.
The present world number 12, Atthaya Thitikul will be the top contender to win the women's individual gold. In the women’s team event, South Korea, Japan, Thailand will be in contention to win the gold medal.
Indian Team for the Asian Games Golf 2018
Seven golfers, four men and three women, will represent India at the 2018 Asian Games. The men's contingent includes Aadil Bedi, Kshitij Naved Kaul, Harimohan Singh and Rayhan Thomas while the women's team consists of Sifat Sagoo, Ridhima Dilawari and Diksha Dagar.
In the men’s individual competition, the present world number 19 Rayhan Thomas is likely to finish on the podium at the quadrennial tournament. Although India is not favourite to win a medal in the men’s team event, the promising Indian golfers can also prove to be a surprise package at the 2018 Asian Games.
With Diksha Dagar having a purple patch in recent years, India's hopes are pinned on the 17-year-old golfer to bag a medal in the women’s individual competition in Jakarta-Palembang.
