A 112 year wait is nearly over for Olympic Golf as the 60 of the best golfers in the world will tee off at the Olympic golf course, Barra da Tijuca on the 11th of August. The sport presents an opportunity for countries to add to their medal kitty and it can prove to be the difference when it comes to the end of the Rio Olympics.
There has been plenty of clamour regarding the field for the event, with golfers across the world having their opinion on the importance of the sport in the Olympics. That debate was put to rest when ‘the greatest ever’ Jack Nicklaus, an 18-time Major winner, said: "All of us who have spent our lives playing and enjoying the game of golf fully understand why it deserved a spot on the Olympic programme.
However, that didn’t stop the likes of World No #1 Jason Day, #2 Dustin Johnson, #3 Jordan Speith and #4 Rory Mcllroy from pulling out of the event, stating fears over the ‘Zika’ virus. At the end of the day, rankings are only numbers and anything can happen over the course of the four days.
The greatest testament to that lies in the fact that Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Jimmy Walker won the 4 Majors this year, all first-time Major winners.
We countdown the top 5 ranked players in the field:
5) Justin Rose - England | World Ranking - 12
36 year old Justin Rose is the lowest ranked player in the field, coming in at #12th due to his recent struggles after the Wells Fargo Championship in May where he came in 3rd. The South African born Justin has serious golfing pedigree, having recorded 7 PGA Tour & 8 European Tour victories in his career.
He also has the distinction of being a Major winner, achieving the feat when he broke England’s 17 year wait for a Major in the 2013 US Open. Perhaps the most dramatic moment of his career came at the 2012 Ryder Cup where he was instrumental in Team Europe’s miraculous victory, holing putts of 10, 35 and 12 feet on the final three holes to defeat Phil Mickelson and Team USA.
His highest ranking is 3rd, a position he held after his win at the 2013 US Open.
4) Danny Willett - England | World Ranking - 9
28 year old Danny Willett is scripting his own tale and enjoying a remarkable 2016. His moment in the sun came at the 2016 Masters Tournament earlier this year where he became just the second man from his country to win the event.
He is ranked at a career-high 9th place, a position he has held doggedly since his win at the Masters earlier this year. He’s come off the pace recently with disappointing performances at The Open Championship and the PGA Championship, but he is one who has an eye for the spectacular.
He’s recorded 5 wins on the European Tour in his career and one each on the Asian and PGA Tours.
3) Rickie Fowler - USA | World Ranking - 8
The 27 year old American Rickie Fowler is one of the most followed and loved golfers around the world. He is also one of the most marketable faces in the game ever since breaking onto the scene at an early age. He is one who took to the greens as a natural and has been close to the top of the rankings since his debut.
He was the number one ranked amateur golfer in the world for 37 weeks in 2007-2008 and was also awarded the PGA Tour Rookie of the year trophy in 2010. He’s still waiting for his first Major, having come close in all 4. In a remarkable 2014, he finished runner-up twice, came 3rd once and 5th once.
While he is still waiting for his first Major, he has amassed 3 PGA Tour and 2 European Tour wins.
2) Bubba Watson - USA | World Ranking - 6
37 year old Bubba Watson is one of the most misunderstood golfers on the planet, his unique style causing ire to a number of other golfers and fans. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that is one of the most talented players in recent memory and he should be quietly confident going into the Olympics.
He is the most successful golfer on this list with 2 Major wins, at the Masters Tournament in 2012 and 2014. He also has 9 wins on the PGA Tour and is constantly in the reckoning going into the last day of any event.
His highest career ranking is 2nd, a position he held after the WGC-HSBC Championship in 2015. He has also been in the top 10 since 2014.
5) Henrik Stenson - Sweden | World Ranking - 5
40 year old Henrik Stenson is enjoying a season to remember, climbing to a career high 2nd place in the rankings. He has spent the last 250 weeks in the Top 10, speaking volumes of his consistency at the top level of the game.
He finally broke his Major Championship duck in style, when he posted a Major Championship record total score of 264 on the way to winning the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon. He is one of the most respected golfers in the world with an impressive trophy haul of 5 PGA and 11 European Tour wins.
Coming into the Olympics, he represents one of the best hopes of a gold medal for his country Sweden.
