The beautiful sport of golf returns to the Olympic Games for the first time in over a century. With the top four worldwide golfers missing from the men's competition, it may seem rather less exciting, but the event will be nothing less than enticing with medals up for grabs and an elite field. The men's golf tournament takes place from August 11-14 at the newly designed Campo Olímpico de Golfe which is located in the district of Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro.
The Americans
The 60-golfer field is headlined by Bubba Watson who comes in as the second-highest ranked player in the event. Joining the two-time Masters champion is Rickie Fowler. Fowler has made just one top-10 in a matter of three months and looks to turn around his recent slump with a solid week in Rio. The United States' final two members are able to compete thanks to Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson's withdrawals. Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar gear up in the red, white, and blue to conclude the American team. If the United States fails to medal in spite of their four strong golfers, it would surprise the world of golf.
The Favorites
Joining the Americans on the list of favorites to take home a medal is Henrik Stenson, the highest-ranked golfer in the competition. The British team also are to watch out for. Great Britain's Danny Willet won the green jacket earlier this year and he will be accompanied by hopeful gold medalist, Justin Rose. Concluding the elite pack is Sergio Garcia who is one of Spain's two golfers.
Dark Horses
Jhonatthan Vegas was victorious on the PGA Tour recently and looks to carry his momentum into Rio. Also, Emiliano Grillo may have lost his clubs earlier in the week, but his consistent results as of late make him a dark horse for a spot on the podium. Martin Kaymer is fresh off a top-10 finish at a major and is experienced enough to handle the pressure and potentially make some noise on Sunday.
Withdrawals
1. Jason Day
2. Dustin Johnson
3. Rory McIlroy
4. Jordan Spieth
5. Adam Scott
6. Branden Grace
7. Louis Oosthuizen
8. Hideki Matsuyama
9. Charl Schwartzel
10. Shane Lowry
11. Marc Leishman
12. Kim Kyung-Tae
13. Francesco Molinari
14. Hideto Tanihara
15. Graeme McDowell
16. Victor Dubuisson
17. Matt Jones
18. Vijay Singh
19. Brendon de Jonge
20. Angelo Que
21. Camilo Villegas