Dr. Lou Antolihao
Senior Lecturer of Sociology at the National University of Singapore. He is the author of three books and several articles on sociology, development, and basketball. His current research is on mobility, smart technologies, and golf communities in Southeast Asia.
Email: lantolihao@gmail.com
The sight of Olympic gold medalist Scottie Scheffler tearing up at the podium as the US national anthem played during the medal ceremony captures the momentous progress in the effort to popularize golf as an Olympic event and a major global sport. First, Scheffler’s masterful, come-from-behind win in the final round is widely heralded as one of the top performances during the 2024 Paris Games, and even as one of the Olympics’ all-time best. Second, his thrilling victory, along with the overall spectacular competitions in men’s and women’s events, attracted wide media attention that could turn golf from a “boring” inaccessible game to an action-packed and drama-filled sport worthy of a place among the world’s premier sports. Finally, the image of Scheffler overwhelmed by the magnitude of the moment has made him an endearing All-American hero who marked the path between a notably individualistic and elitist game to the larger ideals of patriotism and internationalism.
Ironically, Scheffler’s emotional outpouring connects golf to the nation while simultaneously affirming its weak ties to this important institution. Factors such as the emphasis on individual performance (vis-a-vis team) and relative inaccessibility (elite membership clubs) hamper the development of a strong national fan base in golf. As shown in the Paris Games, the Olympics can be the perfect venue for golf to forge stronger ties with the nation-state. It allows players, followers, and organizations to find a more profound connection that sustains interest and loyalty to the game. Despite its weak ties to the nation-state, how did golf manage to sustain a successful professional circuit and a continually growing number of followers worldwide?
Golf has displayed exceptional growth since the Covid-19 pandemic when the sport provided a respite for many who were seeking a socially distanced recreational activity. Last year, the R&A Global Golf Participation Report noted a 34 percent increase in the number of golfers across the globe (except in the US and Mexico) since 2016. In South Korea, a golf boom saw around 10 percent of its population take up the sport since 2021. Consequently, discussions emerged on how to tap into remarkable growth to further increase the global influence of golf, including raising its status in the Olympics.
Compared to many sports, the Olympics do not stand as the most prominent tournament in golf. Golf is technically new to the Olympics. After the first official matches were held during the 1900 Paris Games, the golf tournaments were discontinued after the 1904 St. Louis Games and were only reinstated more than a century later at the 2016 Rio Games. During this long period, golf developed its own political and cultural characteristics that are distinct from Olympic-centric sports. One of its unique features is the Ryder Cup, golf’s most prestigious tournament. Established in 1927, the biennial event started as a tournament between the United States and Great Britain until it was expanded to include continental European golfers in 1979. The Ryder Cup has provided golf fans with unforgettable stories of excellence (e.g., Ian Poulter, 2012), rivalries (e.g., Azinger vs Ballesteros), drama (e.g., “Battle of Brookline,” 1999), epic stories (e.g., Nicklaus vs. Jacklin, 1969), and traditions (e.g., “captain’s picks”), just as the Olympics provide such to many other sports. Nonetheless, the Ryder Cup remains an exclusive intercontinental affair that has marginalized many top golfers from countries such as South Africa, Australia, and South Korea.
Like Scheffler, women’s Olympic golf champion Lydia Ko also cried during the medal awarding ceremony. Her path to the center podium was just as arduous and electrifying as Scheffler’s – she won by only three shots against the bronze medal winner and a five-shot lead from the ninth-place finisher. With her gold medal, Ko achieved an Olympic medal trifecta, having won silver in 2016 and bronze in 2021. Her victory also allowed her to accumulate enough points for induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame. Beyond the Games, Lydia Ko is also the epitome of the globalization of golf. Born in South Korea, Ko migrated with her family to New Zealand when four years old. She is one of a handful of celebrity golfers whose cultural links and commercial appeal transcend national boundaries.
Various media outlets juxtaposed Scottie Scheffler’s (and Lydia Ko’s) spectacular final-round performances with the heartbreaking ending of Jon Rahm’s Olympic campaign. The Spanish golfer is one of the most prominent players of LIV Golf, a professional men’s golf league founded in 2021, which is engaged in a much-publicized spat with the PGA Tour, with which Scheffler is affiliated. This juxtaposition shows how the Olympics can be used as a site for other contestations beyond those of athletes and the nations that they represent. Moreover, the Olympics can also become an occasion wherein nation-states opportunistically re-assert their power and display their continuing relevance amidst narratives of their decline in our globalized world. For instance, three Dutch golfers were barred from participating in the Olympics for not meeting their national sports authorities’ criteria despite meeting IOC requirements. These shifting loyalties and belongingness will help determine golf’s defining character and overall appeal to discerning global sports fans.
