Canadian golfers look to revive Olympic success in Paris

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It has long been a prized possession of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, on display to honour an incredible if obscure moment for the sport in this country.

More than a century old now, the 1904 Olympic trophy won by Canadian George S. Lyon is dusted off and no longer a relic reminder to golf’s short-lived part of the Games menu.

Instead, it is subtle motivation for Nick Taylor, Brooke Henderson and the rest of the country’s top golfers with an eye on Paris 2024.

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When many of the world’s top professionals tee it up at Le Golf National, it will be the third consecutive Games that the sport will be contested. And, arguably, the Paris edition will be the most anticipated since golf returned to the Rio 2016 Games after a 112-year hiatus since Lyon’s triumph in St. Louis.

“It’s a really major thing on a 2024 professional elite level golfer’s schedule,” Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum said in an interview. “It’s there. It’s going to be a spectacular event.

“I think about this a lot. I think that the Olympics has the ability to put the sport on a platform and have even more Canadians follow what some of their athletes and compatriots are doing out there from a golf perspective.”

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It’s far from a stretch to suggest that Canadian golf never has had more depth, particularly on the men’s side, as the sport rides unprecedented momentum here. With five players positioned inside the top 70 of the World Golf Rankings, the race for Olympic berths has been an intriguing sub-plot to the regular action on the PGA Tour with as many as five Canadian men in contention for much of the season.

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The top two on that list when the qualification period closes following this Sunday’s final round of the U.S. Open in Pinehurst, N.C., will represent Canada in Paris.

And what a race it has been.

Taylor, who won the 2023 Canadian Open, remains the leader at No. 32, but after a superb third-place finish at the Memorial tournament in Ohio this past weekend, Adam Hadwin (35) has leaf-frogged Corey Conners (46) into the second spot as the finish line nears.

While grueling life on the PGA and LPGA Tour requires focus on the next shot — never mind the following week or grand events down the road — the Olympics have been a subsidiary goal for the top Canadians such as Taylor, Hadwin, Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith.

On the women’s side, Canada will be represented by soon-to-be third-time Olympian Brooke Henderson at 14th in the world, with Alena Sharp (267) the other likely Canadian.

“It’s a big deal,” Taylor said recently. “I don’t want to over-emphasize it to put extra pressure on myself, but it certainly would be something that is very special. Everyone I’ve talked to who has been an Olympian comes back with rave reviews of the experience.

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“The pride people take of having a flag on their uniform and representing their country, It’s something I want to be a part of.”

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After some rocky moments the previous two Games, Taylor’s enthusiasm is likely representative of the rest of the world as Paris is arguably the most eagerly anticipated tournament since its revival on the Olympic menu.

The buildup to the celebrated return for Rio 2016 was significantly muted by the Zika virus, which prompted several top players, including Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, to withdraw.

Then when the 2020 Tokyo Games were delayed until 2021, the event was held under COVID restrictions that included the exit of World No. 1, Jon Rahm, who tested positive for the virus.

There are no such concerns for the 2024 Olympic golf event, a 72-hole stroke play tournament for both the men and women. This year’s competition will have the added cache of being played on a prominent course that played host to the 2018 Ryder Cup — a considerable upgrade over the previous two venues.

Like the rest of the elite golf world, the Canadians are focused on their pro careers, where the competition is stout, week in and week out. That said, there is clear recognition of the prestige that awaits at Le Golf National, some 41 kms southwest off the Olympic Village in the heart of Paris.

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“An Olympic medal is just different,” said Emily Phoenix, Golf Canada’s high performance director. “I think our players are still really focused on major championships on the PGA and LPGA Tour, but being an Olympian and being a medallist at the Olympics, it not only transcends your sport, but also puts you on a different stage as an athlete.

“It just opens so many doors and creates more visibility for our sport. The power of that medal and what it could do for Golf in Canada … it’s a huge opportunity.”

Phoenix has been Golf Canada’s point person for the competition, working closely with the Canadian Olympic Committee as well as players and their coaching and management teams to handle logistics unique to the Games. While the competition itself will resemble what they’re accustomed to once it tees off, there is a bigger, grander picture at play.

“The biggest piece is reminding them it is a multi-sports Games — that golf is just one event happening in this huge broader scope of events,” Phoenix sad. “What they may experience week in and week out on Tour may be different. Things are going to come up that are unexpected and we are all going to work through it as a team.

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“We’ve learned a lot from Rio and from Tokyo, but the reality is that Paris is going to be the first large-scale global Olympics probably since London (in 2012). At the end of the day, they are still playing golf and doing what they do week in and week out on Tour, but they’ll be doing it with the Olympic experience.”

In an effort to keep life as normal as possible, players will be staying on site at Le Golf National — a desire Phoenix gleaned from her regular prep work with Canada’s top players. At the same time, they’ll be encouraged to soak up the Olympic vibe when they can, whether it be trips to the village in Paris or attending other competitions.

“We want them to get that Olympic experience as well, whatever that might mean for them,” Phoenix said. “Our Canadian players, they’re so proud to represent Canada. When they were growing up, being an Olympian wasn’t really there as an (incentive). There wasn’t that path.

“But now we see this with the younger players when they say ‘I want to turn pro, I want to be on the PGA or LPGA Tour and I want to be an Olympian.’ That’s really different and it’s definitely a point of pride.”

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And a point of emphasis for Golf Canada, a vehicle to continue the momentum the sport is enjoying in the country.

“For our players, it has been a major thing, a highlight on their calendar,” Applebaum said. “They’ve been laser-focused on the qualifying and it’s been an amazing race to watch and follow.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee is doing an amazing job. Their team has worked hand-and-glove with Golf Canada to make sure our athletes have what we need and are working on the right things for this championship.”

As much as it is an individual sport, the Canadians on the PGA Tour are tethered by a unique and strong bond. They often play practice rounds together and root each other on in pursuit of success in what is an individual sport.

The prospects of being festooned with the Maple Leaf at the Olympics is a natural extension of that camaraderie.

Taylor likes to share a story from a corporate event prior to this year’s Canadian Open in Hamilton where one of the participants had a Canadian flag on her bag. The patriotism there and between the ropes during the tournament caught the eye of McIlroy, one of the biggest global stars in the game.

“Rory said ‘I wish I had as much passion as Canadians do about their sport, just being united and stuff,’” Taylor said. “(Qualifying) was a huge goal of mind to start the year. I really hope I can represent Canada at the Olympics.”

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