GOLF – THE men’s golf competition tees off today at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
While some of those competing are breaking new ground, for others it is a return to familiar territory. As host venue to the FedEx Open de France on the DP World Tour since before the turn of the century, and scene of the 2018 Ryder Cup, Le Golf National is no stranger to welcoming the world’s best.
But for a quintet of European golfers, it evokes fond recent memories of both personal and shared stories of success.
In the 60-strong field set to tee it up are three of the last five winners of France’s national Open, namely Team Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood, Sweden’s Alex Noren and Italy’s Guido Migliozzi.
Fleetwood and Noren, winners over back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018 respectively, were also part of the victorious European Ryder Cup team from almost six years ago. But they are not alone.
Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Thorbjorn Olesen were also part of Thomas Bjorn’s winning European team of 2018 and return to France with Olympic goals to realise. With top-five finishes to their name at continental Europe’s oldest national title, belief in their medal chances will only be bolstered.
So, while it is almost six years on, the memories of euphoria for the five victorious members of Team Europe competing at this summer’s Games are likely to be palpable.
By comparison, nobody from that US Team is playing here this week.
The men’s Olympic Team USA quartet may feature world number one Scottie Scheffler, defending gold-medallist Xander Schauffele, and a pair of major champions in Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa, but competitive experience at one of golf’s most respected courses is something they do not possess.
Measuring 7,247 yards, the Albatros course at Le Golf National annually presents one of the toughest examinations players face on the DP World Tour.
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