LIV Golf players are often excluded from tournaments but that will not be the case at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
LIV Golf’s inaugural season took place in 2022 and many of its participants have not been present at major championships or marquee PGA Tour events ever since.
As the tour is not recognised by the Official Golf World Ranking, several capable golfers have not qualified for the likes of The Masters and the Open Championship.
This has remained an issue for the Olympics but to a lesser extent, as seven LIV Golf competitors have made the 60-strong field.
The Golfing Gazette outline every LIV Golf player who will be at the Paris 2024 Olympics, including Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann.
Jon Rahm & David Puig – Spain
Former world number one Jon Rahm had been out of sorts in the major championships this season until a top-10 finish at The Open last month. He followed that up with a victory at LIV Golf UK – his first on the tour – and now looks ready to mount a challenge for the medals at Le Golf National.
David Puig is 28th out of 56th in the LIV Golf individual standings and is somewhat fortunate to have made Spain’s Olympic team. It would come as a real surprise if he were to finish near the top of the leaderboard this week.
Joaquin Niemann & Mito Pereira – Chile
Joaquin Niemann is one of the best golfers in the world. The Chilean has won two LIV events in 2024 – Mayakoba and Jeddah – and sits atop the individual standings for the season. Besides Rahm – who recently praised his improvement – he is probably the most likely LIV Golf player to win a medal at the Olympics.
Niemann’s compatriot, Mito Pereira, is not enjoying a successful year on the LIV Golf tour. He ranks 43rd in the individual standings, just ahead of Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter, having finished in the top 30 at just one event. However, his third at the 2022 PGA Championship proves that he can mix it with the very best on his day.
Abraham Ancer & Carlos Ortiz – Mexico
Abraham Ancer has been a consistent performer on the LIV Golf tour this season, never finishing lower than 28th. He won the event in Hong Kong in March, after an amazing eight-under second round, and cannot be ruled out of winning a medal for Mexico at the Olympics.
Carlos Ortiz’s 2024 has been very similar to Ancer’s. The 33-year-old has one win – LIV Golf Houston – and a number of top-15 finishes. He has not made the cut at a major since the 2021 PGA Championship so he is certainly unlikely to stand out in an elite field at the Olympics – but stranger things have happened.
Adrian Meronk – Poland
Adrian Meronk won four times on the European Tour and was extremely unlucky to miss out on Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup team before joining LIV Golf last year. He is 15th in the individual standings – with a best finish of second in Houston – but that is not the main reason why he could be in the mix come Sunday afternoon. The Pole has experience playing at Le Golf National in the Open de France, making the top 15 in 2022.
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