Paris attracts world’s best male golfers after Rio ambivalence

When golf returned to the Olympics in 2016 after a 112-year hiatus, only six of the top dozen male players in the world showed up for the Rio Games.

In the absence of the then-top four players in the world – Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy – the sport’s return generated a fair amount of ambivalence both within golf and the wider sporting community.

While the threat of contracting the Zika virus was cited as a reason not to travel to Brazil, there was also a feeling that several top stars had not embraced the notion that golf should be an Olympic sport.

Indeed, elaborating on his Zika fears, McIlroy made it abundantly clear just a few weeks before the tournament that he had no enthusiasm for golf’s return.

The inclusion of the sport in the Games still generates plenty of debate. The argument that if a gold medal is not the absolute pinnacle then it should not be included in the Games is one with which many sports fans empathise.

But, as we await the start of the men’s tournament in Paris, there has been a discernible shift of opinion from the world’s best golfers.

Shane Lowry is still pinching himself after carrying the Irish flag at last Friday’s opening ceremony.

“It was an amazing experience and something that I’ll remember forever,” said the 2019 Open Champion as he prepares for Thursday’s first tee shot at le Golf National.

“It was a big honour. Memories for a lifetime and just even being there and being around the other athletes, it was pretty cool.”

Lowry admits it was something he could not have envisaged growing up as a golfer and said: “It was an amazing experience.”

For this, the third Olympic golf competition since the sport’s readmission, the only players missing from the top 10 are two Americans who were ineligible because there are a maximum four other compatriots above them in the rankings.