Golf’s finest set for Olympic glory: Who will rise to the top?

MANILA, Philippines — With all but one of the world’s Top 10 in the field, led by the defending champion, the gold medal chase in the Olympic Games could easily be narrowed down to these elite golfers. But golf is a tricky, unpredictable game where the only certainty is its unpredictability.

This unpredictability gives the rest of the stellar 60-player field an equal chance of reaching the top podium on August 10 at Le Golf National. This includes underdogs like Slovenia’s Pia Babnik, Austria’s Sarah Schober, Morocco’s Ines Laklalech, Norway’s Noora Komulainen and the Philippines’ Dottie Ardina.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda is poised for a back-to-back gold medal feat, while players like Lilia Vu, Jin Young Ko, Ruoning Yin, Amy Yang, local favorite Celine Boutier, Hannah Green, Charley Hull, Rose Zhang and Yuka Saso are all set to challenge the American for the coveted hardware and the distinction of being an Olympic champion.

But anything can happen in golf – at any given round, at any given time – with outcomes often decided on the last shot or putt. For many, it’s not about who hits the longest drives. While some believe it’s about precision and consistency, for a few, it boils down to who can handle the pressure with nerves of steel.

"It's going to be interesting to see the fight for the medals in the last four holes," said Frenchman Thomas Levet, winner of the 2011 Alstom Open de France at Le Golf National. “Those last four holes are really, really demanding mentally, and with that much pressure, it could be interesting, I would say."

“And it's a course where you need to stay calm all week long. The scoring without rough can be around 15- or 16-under. With rough, anything around 5- or 6-under could be enough,” he added.

As one of Europe’s top championship courses, the par-72 layout offers an innovative setting that welcomes the highest level of international competition.

While Ardina might be considered a longshot, her fellow Filipina and ICTSI teammate Bianca Pagdanganan could make an impact with her immense power. Ranked No. 4 in driving distance on the LPGA Tour with an average of 275 yards, Pagdanganan is the longest hitter in the Olympic roster, with Mexico’s Maria Fassi next at a 274-yard average.

Pagdanganan, who finished 43rd in her Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2021, has been working on her all-around game, ready and eager to showcase when the competition begins on August 7. However, mental toughness and the ability to withstand pressure from the course and competitors will be crucial.

Short in length but long on talent, Ardina aims to contend with her accuracy off the tee and excellent fairway and recovery shots, with putting also playing a key role in a gold medal drive.

In any case, it will be a wide-open race, with the finish expected to be more thrilling and exciting than Korda’s one-stroke victory over Mone Inami and Lydia Ko in the Tokyo Games.