Jason Day has said he intends to make his Olympic debut in Paris this summer after the Australian was among a group of golfers to opt out of the sport’s return to the Olympics in 2016.
Day cited concerns about the Zika virus when he announced he would not compete in Brazil, and the former world No. 1 has not qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to a career downturn and injuries. The 36-year-old has recently enjoyed a resurgence and is firmly ranked among the top 50 players in the world.
“I’m going to play,” Day said after the fourth round of the Masters. “If I join, I will definitely compete. I’m looking forward to it. I think I made a mistake by not going to Rio, although part of it has to do with family.
“I kind of missed it and I probably should have left. But if I get the chance, I’m looking forward to going.
Day said he had no preference for whoever wore the Australian jersey alongside him at the National Golf Club. Min-woo Lee seems certain to advance, but the situation with Cameron Smith is less certain. After Smith switched to LIV Golf, he was excluded from the official world rankings, which are used to determine Olympic qualification. The former Open champion has only major events to earn ranking points between now and the Olympics, unless he chooses to play on the Asian Tour.
“Whoever plays well, that’s great,” Day said. “I think Minwoo is playing good golf. Obviously, Smith, you don’t get points playing in LIV. He needs to perform well in major tournaments and try to get himself on the leaderboard.
It was reported last month that Adam Scott did not want to compete in the Paris Olympics. The same goes for Brooks Koepka of the United States and Tyrrell Hatton of the United Kingdom.
Lee’s sister Minji is almost certain to join the Australian team, adding to his motivation to compete in the Olympics. Before leaving Augusta, Lee said Day’s Olympic plans were “incredible” news for his country.
“When you’re a professional player, you don’t really represent Australia,” Lee said. “Obviously you’re representing Australia every week, every week, but when you’re an amateur I got to play for Australia a lot. So I do miss putting on the green and gold.
“Obviously, having Jason as a playing partner and teammate is going to be really special. My sister will be there as well, so it’s going to be an incredible experience. Hopefully it keeps that up so I can play ball.
There is no doubt that both golfers were influenced by golf’s huge success at the Olympics. In the 112 years leading up to the Rio Olympics, it had not been included in the program. Rory McIlroy was critical of golf’s involvement at the time but completely changed his view after playing for Ireland in Japan. The main issue for male golfers this year will be scheduling, with the Olympics taking place amid a tight schedule of summer majors and FedEx Cup competition.
At the same time, Phil Mickelson suggested that LIV could modify its format and introduce a 72-hole competition. Mickelson finished with a 74 for an eight-over total that inevitably raised questions about the effectiveness of the LIV Tour as a major preparation.
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Mixon dismissed the theory but did speculate on upcoming changes. LIV has only played three rounds so far.
“I don’t think it matters either way,” the six-time major champion said. “Every round is an opportunity to improve and get better. Some guys on the PGA Tour only play 36 holes. A lot of guys only play 36 this week. Every round is a chance to excel and compete. . I don’t think there’s any difference either way. We have 54 games on the mini tour and 54 games on the championship tour.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if some or all of LIV reaches 72 games. I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I enjoy playing. It’s a weird thing for Mixon to volunteer for. thing.
Smith and Bryson DeChambeau climbed to the top of the leaderboard, further enhancing LIV’s reputation at Augusta National. Hatton was great on the court on Sunday, but Jon Rahm’s Masters defense was anything but. The Spaniard, LIV’s high-profile rookie of the month in December, finished with a 76 for a nine-over total. Koepka, who played alongside Rahm for much of the 2023 tournament, left Georgia after a 75 that gave him the same total as last year’s winner.
Koepka will be hoping for a better performance when he defends his PGA title at Valhalla next month.
