After golf’s highly successful return to the Olympic Games in Rio 2016, expectations for the golf competition at Tokyo 2020 were high. The competition delivered in an extraordinary way, culminating in a seven-way playoff for the men’s bronze medal and a playoff for silver and bronze in the women’s event.
On Sunday 1 August 2021, Xander Schauffele (United States of America) claimed the Gold medal, followed by Rory Sabbatini (Slovakia) for Silver and C.T. Pan (Chinese Taipei) for Bronze. In the final round of the women’s event on Saturday 7 August 2021, the Gold medal was won by Nelly Korda (United States of America), followed by Mone Inami (Japan) for Silver and Lydia Ko (New Zealand) for Bronze.
SAITAMA, JAPAN - AUGUST 01: Xander Schauffele of the United States poses with is gold medal during the final round of the Men’s Individual Stroke Play event on Day 12 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 1, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR/IGF)
SAITAMA, JAPAN - AUGUST 07: Gold medalist Nelly Korda of the United States poses with her medal after the final round of the Women’s Individual Stroke Play event on Day 18 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 7, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/IGF)
The Kasumigaseki Country Club hosted both the men’s competition (29 July to 1 August 2021) and women’s competition (4 to 7 August 2021). The golf course received universal high praise from the athletes and the media.
60 athletes in each of the men's and women's competitions played a 72-hole individual stroke play tournament over four days.
42 National Olympic Committees entered athletes in the golf events with medalists coming from five different countries and four continents. Visit the Medalist page and the scoring information for Men and Women for additional information.
Follow the links to read articles on Men’s and Women’s competition and results.
Did you know?
- During the men’s competition, the 4th hole was playing as the longest par-3 of the week at 248 yards (227 meters); the 10th hole was the shortest par 3 of the week at 175 yards (160 meters).
- Rory Sabbatini, silver medalist, was the oldest player in the field at age 45.
- Both the silver and bronze medal winners (Rory Sabbatini representing Slovakia, and C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei), had their wives caddying - Martina on Rory’s and Michelle on C.T.’s bag.
- USA won both the men’s and women’s events, a feat they accomplished once before, in 1900.
- Lydia Ko, who added a bronze to her 2016 Olympic Games silver medal is the first woman to win two Olympic medals in golf. In men’s golf, three athletes from the USA achieved this, all in 1904.
- Aditi Ashok, is the first golfer to participate in three editions of the Games (Olympic Games 2016 & 2020 and Youth Olympic Games 2018). Aditi finished in 4th position in Tokyo. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi tweeted: “Well played @aditigolf! You have shown tremendous skill and resolve during #Tokyo2020. A medal was narrowly missed but you’ve gone farther than any Indian and blazed a trail. Best wishes for your future endeavours.”
Hope, solidarity and peace
The 2020 Olympic Games marked golf’s second consecutive Olympic Games appearance since being re-admitted into the Olympic programme for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The Tokyo 2020 Games were the first in the Olympic Games' 124-year history to be postponed. Originally scheduled for summer 2020, the Games finally took place from 23 July to 8 August 2021 after a one-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus-delayed Games became synonymous with hope that the world could find its way out of the pandemic. IOC President, Thomas Bach, praised the athletes during the Closing Ceremony, ”In these difficult times, you give the world the most precious of gifts: hope. (..) The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are the Olympic Games of hope, solidarity and peace.”
The 2020 Olympic Games marked golf’s second consecutive Olympic Games appearance since being re-admitted into the Olympic programme for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.