Who are the top contenders in men’s golf at the 2024 Paris Olympics?

The Olympic men’s golf competition begins Thursday at Le Golf National in Paris. This 72-hole, stroke-play tournament features 60 players, including four Americans: Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Wyndham Clark. While none of the U.S. players have previously competed at Le Golf National, several participants have experience from the DP World Tour’s French Open, such as past champions Tommy Fleetwood (England), Alex Noren (Sweden), and Guido Migliozzi (Italy). Five European Ryder Cuppers from 2018—Fleetwood, Noren, Rory McIlroy (Ireland), Jon Rahm (Spain), and Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark)—are also in the field.

Le Golf National requires precision off the tee, with punishing rough and numerous water hazards. This course setup favors players like Scheffler, Schauffele, and Morikawa, who are among the favorites to win.

**Top 25 Power Rankings:**

1. **Collin Morikawa, U.S.:** Consistent performer with no finishes worse than T-23 in 11 starts, including five top-4s. His game suits Le Golf National well, and he began practice on Saturday.

2. **Shane Lowry, Ireland:** Coming off two consecutive top-10s and a T-16 finish at Le Golf National in 2018. Known for accurate driving and great iron play.

3. **Xander Schauffele, U.S.:** A two-time major winner this season and the reigning gold medalist. His driving performance will be crucial.

4. **Jon Rahm, Spain:** Has posted back-to-back top-10s at Le Golf National in the past and performed well at The Open with a T-7 finish.

5. **Scottie Scheffler, U.S.:** The world No. 1 added another top-10 with a T-7 at The Open. The only concern is his putter, which has been inconsistent.

6. **Alex Noren, Sweden:** A 2018 winner at Le Golf National with a solid performance at The Open, finishing T-13.

7. **Rory McIlroy, Ireland:** Despite recent struggles, his past performances at Le Golf National make him a contender for a top-10 finish.

8. **Corey Conners, Canada:** A strong tee-to-green player, currently fourth in Tour in strokes gained: approach.

9. **Ludvig Åberg, Sweden:** The Swede has shown promise with past strong finishes in DPWT starts on continental Europe.

10. **Tom Kim, South Korea:** Has experience at Le Golf National and typically performs well off the tee.

11. **Tommy Fleetwood, Great Britain:** A former French Open champion, though recent form has been less consistent.

12. **Hideki Matsuyama, Japan:** Known for his strong short game, which could be beneficial at Le Golf National.

13. **Sepp Straka, Austria:** Encouraging recent performance at Troon with positive metrics in all facets.

14. **Joaquin Niemann, Chile:** A setup like Le Golf National suits his accurate driving and strong iron play.

15. **Thomas Detry, Belgium:** Consistent performance with a hot putter, and good past results at Le Golf National.

16. **Matthew Fitzpatrick, Great Britain:** Despite recent struggles, his driver and putter remain strengths.

17. **Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Africa:** His combination of driving accuracy and short game makes him a contender on a course like Le Golf National.

18. **Viktor Hovland, Norway:** Struggles with chipping, but strong in other areas and could perform well on non-links courses.

19. **Guido Migliozzi, Italy:** A past winner at Le Golf National, with recent momentum after a T-31 at Troon.

20. **Shubhankar Sharma, India:** Has been trending positively with recent top finishes.

21. **Jason Day, Australia:** Recently posted his best finish since Wells Fargo with a T-13 at Troon.

22. **Matteo Manassero, Italy:** Showing a resurgence with recent top-15 finishes and strong iron play.

23. **Victor Perez, France:** Up and down recently but has shown promise at Le Golf National in the past.

24. **Abraham Ancer, Mexico:** Accurate off the tee, though recent form has been mixed.

25. **Thorbjorn Olesen, Denmark:** Good course history at Le Golf National, though recent form has been inconsistent.

These rankings highlight the players to watch as they compete for Olympic gold in Paris.