Golf has been an Olympic sport since the second iteration of the modern Olympic games in the 1900 Paris Olympics and was added in the 1904 iteration as well. However, after the latter, the sport suffered a gap period of 112 years due to several factors, and finally, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) added the sport back for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The sport is governed by the International Golf Federation (IGF), which was formed in the late 1950s and changed its name to the World Amateur Golf Council (WAGC) in 2003. The USGA (United States) and the R&A (Scotland) are in charge of the federation.
The Olympic golf events have always been played in the individual men's and women's events, but there is an exception to the 1904 St. Louis golf events, which didn't have the women's events; instead, they were replaced by the team events.
Canada’s Olympic Golf Medalists
Canada won an Olympic gold medal at the 1904 St. Louis Olympic, being the only golf medal that Canada has ever won. The nation stands third on the all-time Olympic medal list, tying with South Korea.
| Year | Event | Player | Medal |
| 1904 | Individual, Men’s | George Lyon | Gold |
At the 1904 Olympics, George Lyon defeated Chandler Egan of the USA. He won at the age of 46, born on August 27, 1858. The event also featured a team game, which the USA team won. In 1908, Lyon was supposed to defend his Olympic title in London. However, due to an internal dispute among British golfers, who boycotted the competition and left Lyon as the only participant, the tournament was called off.
After taking up the game at the age of 37, Lyon went on to win three more Canadian amateur championships, for a total of eight career victories between 1898 and 1914. From 1918 until 1932, he won the Canadian Senior Championship ten times.
The inaugural George S. Lyon Club Team Championship was organized by Golf Ontario on golf courses in the Toronto region in 1948. In addition to being inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1971, Lyon was also inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
FAQ's On Canada at Olympics
A. Three Olympic Games have taken place in Canada: the Summer Olympics in Montreal in 1976, the Winter Olympics in Calgary in 1988, and the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010.
A. The Canadian Olympic Committee has confirmed 315 athletes (122 men and 193 women) for the final team.
A. Yes, George Lyon of Canada won a gold medal at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics.
A. The 2024 Olympic golf events will take place between August 1 and August 10.
A. Yes, Brooke Henderson is participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
