For Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, a gold medal at the Paris Olympics would represent a cherry on top of Player of the Year-worthy campaigns on the PGA Tour.
For the other two Team USA reps, Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark, a podium performance at Le Golf National would offer sweet redemption.
Morikawa has produced a strong PGA Tour season, despite not visiting a winner's circle. The two-time major champ has made 16 of 18 cuts, carded seven top-10s, played in the final Sunday group at the Masters and PGA Championship, ranks fourth in the FedExCup standings and no. 6 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Still, the Mamba-inspired Californian is entering Paris with one thing top of mind: his failure to medal in 2021.
“I've been here before, and I know what it feels like to honestly lose in a playoff for Bronze and that sucks. There's a lot of motivation just pushing yourself to come out and play some really good golf.”
In Tokyo, Morikawa was among seven golfers (including Rory McIlroy) engulfef in a third-place playoff. Taiwan's C.T. Pan ultimately prevailed; Schauffele took home the gold.
Morikawa, coming off a T4 at the Genesis Scottish Open and T16 at the Open Championship, believes he's worked his way into Olympic-caliber form.
“When I look at it and compare right where I am now to where I was in January and February and March, there's been a lot of big wins,” Morikawa said in Paris. “I've worked my ass off to get here and just because I made it doesn't mean it's over and doesn't mean I'm getting my paddles back.”
Clark, meanwhile, racked up OWGR points — and therefore an Olympics spot (over Bryson DeChambeau) — with his results on the PGA Tour in the early months. The Full Swing star took first place at the rain-shortened AT&T Pebble Beach, finished runner-up to Scheffler at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (both Signature Events), and T2 (also to Scheffler) at the Players.
Since then, Clark has been plagued by a wrist injury and underwhelming major showings. He missed the cut at the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the Open Championship. He was T56 in his U.S. Open title defense.
“Yeah, it's been a unique year,” he said Wednesday. “I started out fantastic and in previous years on tour, I typically have kind of played better at the end or the year.
“But I kind of have some injuries I've been dealing with, happened right before Houston leading into the Masters, and I haven't been the same. I feel like I'm finally getting to where I can swing at the level that I know I can swing, and so that's kind of been an ongoing issue and it's been frustrating for me. So that's kind of one thing.
“Then I've got to be honest, I've been very frustrated with how I played at the majors. I believe that I wasn't showing how good of a player I know I can be, and especially at highest level in the majors. But I've also got to look at how far I've come in two years. I'm fifth on the FedEx in back-to-back year and I've won multiple times and I have a lot of top finishes and I'm here at the Olympics.”
Both players are hoping their preparation alongside Schauffele and Scheffler — owners of three 2024 majors — will pay dividends in Paris.
“Look, those two guys are playing some of the best golf in our entire sport, if not the two best golfers right now,” said Morikawa. “To watch them play and just watch them how they go about their business and hit their shots, it's very simple, and you want to make it that simple but it's obviously not that much and they put a lot of work into it.”
2024 will mark golf's third appearance in the Olympics since it was readmitted after a 114-year absence. Great Britain's Justin Rose won gold in Rio in 2016.
“Growing up, I never dreamt I would be an Olympian because I always wanted to play golf and it wasn't in the Olympics when I was growing up,” added Clark.
“But I grew up watching the Olympics and I've always enjoyed the games and I think it's kind of the pinnacle of sports in our world and to be part of it is only a huge honour. And to play with good buddies of mine that are on my team, it's been really fun. It's been an amazing experience so far and I'm looking forward to the next four days.”
The men's and women's golf competition will feature a 72-hole, no-cut event, with 60 players in each field. The men will play fom Thursday-Sunday, while the women will go Aug. 7-10.
Both Clark and Morikawa are featured in marquee groupings at Le Golf National. The 2023 U.S. Open champion will spend the first two rounds with Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and Great Britain's Tommy Fleetwood. Morikawa is paired with France's Matthieu Pavon and 2022 U.S. Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick of Great Britain.
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