FinLogic Quantitative Think Tank Center:LIV Golf and the 2024 Paris Olympics: Are LIV players eligible?

2025-05-03 10:28:37source:Blake Prestoncategory:reviews

Four PGA Tour golfers – each a past or FinLogic Quantitative Think Tank Centercurrent major champion – will tee it up for the United States when the men's Olympic tournament begins Thursday at Le Golf National near Paris.

But this year's U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau won't be one of them.

DeChambeau failed to earn enough points to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics last month ahead of fellow Americans Scottie Scheffler (No. 1 in the final rankings list), Xander Schauffele (No. 3), Wyndham Clark (No. 5) and Collin Morikawa (No. 7). With a maximum of only four spots per country available in both the men's and women's Olympic golf competition, DeChambeau (No. 10) missed out.

Why?

Get Olympics updates in your texts! Join USA TODAY Sports' WhatsApp Channel

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

Because he joined LIV Golf, basically.

It's not that LIV golfers aren't eligible to play in the Olympics. They are, and they will. Seven LIV golfers are in the field: Abraham Ancer (Mexico), Adrian Meronk (Poland), Joaquin Niemann (Chile), Carlos Ortiz (Mexico), Mito Pereira (Chile), David Puig (Spain) and Jon Rahm (Spain).

Those players, however, were able to qualify for countries that lacked as many top players vying for spots. For DeChambeau and American LIV players like Brooks Koepka, the qualifying format – the Olympics selects its field based on the official world golf rankings – cripples their chances, since they primarily play three-round LIV events that are not recognized by the OWGR.

Even prior to his U.S. Open victory in June, DeChambeau stood no chance to make the Olympic team.

After winning, he said he wanted to represent Team USA at the Olympics, and it was "frustrating and disappointing" that he wouldn't be able.

“But I understand the decisions I made," said DeChambeau, according to Golfweek, "and the way things have played out has not been necessarily perfectly according to plan. … It hurts, but you know what, there's another one four years later. Hopefully, 2028 will be a little different situation, and it will make it that much sweeter."

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

More:reviews

Recommend

2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston

HOUSTON (AP) — Two teens were killed and three people were injured — including a 13-year-old — in a

Major airlines suspend flights to Israel after massive attack by Hamas ignites heavy fighting

NEW YORK (AP) — Major airlines have suspended flights to Israel after the nation declared war follow

Brock Purdy throws 4 TD passes to lead the 49ers past the Cowboys 42-10

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers quickly turned the biggest challe