PGA Championship Is ‘America’s Favorite’ Jordan Spieth’s Only Lifeline for Paris Olympics; Here’s Why
Jordan Spieth has missed the past two Olympics, and it seems that he might miss the 2024 Paris Olympics too. In 2016, the 3-time major champion cited the outbreak of the Zika virus and overall health concerns in Brazil as the reasons for his withdrawal from the Olympics. He claimed it to be the hardest decision of his life and showed eagerness to participate in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
In 2021 (the 2020 Tokyo Olympics), there was the COVID-19 pandemic, and Spieth was again absent from the Olympics. His absence was not felt as much as Xander Schauffele brought in the gold medal. Coming to the third edition of golf being played at the Olympics after 112 years, Spieth’s participation is still in doubt. But he may get a chance to improve and seek redemption at Valhalla this week.
The Olympic qualification is based on the rankings of golfers in the Official World Golf Rankings system. The top 15 pros from the OWGR until June 17th are eligible to represent their country in Paris. Jordan Spieth, who was once the world no. 1, is now the 24th-ranked golfer on the OWGR.
Moreover, on the Olympics Golf Ranking as well, Spieth’s name isn’t listed in the top 60 men’s rankings who may represent their country. The three-time major champion would need to win back-to-back to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The golfer winning hasn’t been the case so far. He has missed four cuts in the 2024 season from the 12 events he has played. He was also disqualified from the Genesis Invitational for signing the wrong scorecard. But on the brighter side, he has had 3 top-10 finishes at Sentry (T3), the WM Phoenix Open (T6), and the Valero Texas Open (T10) this year!
In his last appearance on the greens at Quail Hollow, he finished at T29. It did not impact his OWGR rank for the better. At Valhalla, Spieth would have the chance to grab the 100 OWGR points that are up for grabs at the championship. If the 30-year-old wins the second major of the year, his rank will be catapulted into the top 15 on the OWGR.
