Rio 2016 venue: Olympic Golf Course (Barra Zone)
Competition dates: Aug. 11-20
Medal events: 2 (men’s and women’s individual)
Olympic introduction: 1900 (Paris, France); Reinstated in 2016 (Rio, Brazil)


Preview
Seven of the best golfers in the world are eagerly awaiting their chance to represent Team USA at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for the first Olympic golf competition in more than 100 years. Golf was removed from the Olympic program following the St. Louis Games in 1904 and will be returning to the Olympic Games after a 112-year hiatus in Rio.

With a combination of youth and experienced golfers, Team USA is poised for a strong showing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The men’s team consists of four athletes while the women’s team has three members heading to their first Olympic Games.

The Olympic golf competition will be held at the newly constructed Olympic Golf Course designed by American golf course architect, Gil Hanse. Built at Reserva de Marapendi in the Barra da Tijuca region of Rio, the par-71 course is set in an idyllic location with rolling dunes and native vegetation. As picturesque as the course may be, it will be equally as challenging and will be a formidable test for the world’s best golfers.


Athletes To Watch
Rickie Fowler 
Fowler is a California native who lives in Jupiter, Florida. The 27-year-old is a three-time PGA TOUR winner, including THE PLAYERS Championship in 2015. He has four worldwide victories over the last 14 months, most recently winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January. Fowler has also represented the United States in professional team competition on three occasions at the Presidents Cup (2015) and the Ryder Cup (2010, 2014). Fowler played collegiately at Oklahoma State University and was the recipient of the 2008 Ben Hogan Award as the nation’s top collegiate golfer.

Matt Kuchar
At age 38, Kuchar is a seven-time PGA TOUR winner, including THE PLAYERS Championship in 2012. His most recent title came at the 2014 RBC Heritage. Among the most consistent players on the PGA TOUR, the Sea Island, Georgia, native has qualified for the TOUR Championship six straight seasons, dating back to 2010, and has five wins and 63 top-10 finishes during that stretch. He has represented the United States in professional team competition on six occasions: at the Presidents Cup (2011-13-15) and the Ryder Cup (2010-12-14). Kuchar was a two-time first-team All-American at Georgia Tech and won the 1997 U.S. Amateur title.

Patrick Reed
Reed will be celebrating his 26th birthday when the Opening Ceremony kicks off the 2016 Olympic Games on Aug. 5. With four PGA TOUR victories, he most recently won the 2015 Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He has also represented the United States in professional team competition at the Presidents Cup (2015) and Ryder Cup (2014). The Spring, Texas, native was a member of two NCAA Championship teams while at Augusta University.

Bubba Watson
At age 37, Watson is a nine-time PGA TOUR winner, most notably winning the Masters Tournament in 2012 and 2014. The Pensacola, Florida, resident’s latest title came in February at the Northern Trust Open. Watson has represented the United States on three Ryder Cup teams (2010-12-14) and two Presidents Cup teams (2011, 2015). Watson is a 2008 graduate of the University of Georgia.

Stacy Lewis
Lewis, 31, has 11 LPGA titles, including the 2011 Kraft Nabisco Championship and 2013 RICOH Women’s British Open. The former world No. 1 player was voted LPGA Player of the Year in both 2012 and 2014 after seasons with four and three wins. She played collegiately at the University of Arkansas, where she won the NCAA women’s individual title a junior in 2007. She has represented the United States in professional team competition at the Solheim Cup (2013, 2015).

Gerina Piller
Piller climbed into the top 15 in the Rolex Rankings on the final week of the qualification process with a tie for eighth at the U.S. Women’s Open. The Dallas, Texas resident has eight top-10 finishes in 2016, including a runner-up finish at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout in April. At age 31, she has represented the United States in professional team competition at the Solheim Cup (2013, 2015). She played collegiately at the University of Texas-El Paso, where she was the 2007 Conference USA individual champion.

Lexi Thompson
At age 21, Thompson will be the youngest member representing Team USA in Rio. The fourth-ranked golfer in the Women’s Olympic Golf Rankings has seven LPGA titles, including a major championship at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship. Her victory at the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic made her the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history at 16 years, 7 months and 8 days. Thompson’s most recent title came in February at the Honda LPGA Thailand. A native of Coral Springs, Florida, she has represented the United States in professional team competition on two occasions at the Solheim Cup (2013, 2015).


Storylines

  • From the age of 11, Stacy Lewis wore a back brace 18 hours per day for more than seven years to correct curvature in her spine from scoliosis, removing it only to play golf. She underwent back surgery during her senior year of high school and redshirted for one season of college before joining the University of Arkansas women’s golf team.
  • Rickie Fowler raced BMX motorcycles as a teenager before a foot injury forced him to abandon competitive racing. His ancestry includes Native American and Japanese.
  • Matt Kuchar’s wife, Sybi, was a standout tennis player at Georgia Tech, where they met. They teamed in October 2009 to win the consolation title at the USTA National Husband/Wife Doubles Championship at the ATP Headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
  • Gerina Piller, 31, dramatically climbed into the top 15 in the Rolex Rankings in the final week of qualifying with a tie for eighth place at the U.S. Women’s Open. She is married to PGA TOUR member Martin Piller, who will be playing the Wyndham Championship the week of women’s Olympic golf competition.
  • Two-time Masters Tournament champion Bubba Watson has never taken a golf lesson, with his self-taught swing earning nine PGA TOUR wins. Watson’s wife, Angie, is an accomplished basketball player and played professionally in the WNBA. The couple adopted two children, Caleb and Dakota, and serve as spokespersons for the National Council for Adoption.