Cameron Smith’s Olympic dream just isn’t lifeless, with the governing physique in command of setting qualification guidelines “reviewing” the system that might abandon world rankings as the one measure and open the door for LIV stars.
An Olympic gold medal has joined successful main championships as a driving power for the present and subsequent era of {golfing} stars and Smith, who represented Australia in Tokyo, spoke with ardour in regards to the Video games as his rankings slide pushed him past the choice standards for Paris in 2024.
As is stands, the highest 15 gamers on the world rankings get automated entry, with a cap of 4 gamers per nation. Then from these exterior the highest 15, the top-two ranked gamers from international locations not already represented fill out the 60-player fields within the males’s and ladies’s draw.
Jason Day and Min Woo Lee have been Australia’s male representatives in Paris.
Smith has fallen exterior the highest 200 after lacking all 4 main cuts in 2025, the one occasions he might have obtained world rating factors earlier than taking part in within the Australian PGA and Open later this 12 months.
However Antony Scanlon, the Australian boss of the Worldwide Golf Federation, which oversees golf within the Olympics, mentioned the will to get the “strongest discipline attainable” had prompted a evaluation and the qualification for LA in 2028 was not “locked in”.
Scanlon mentioned the addition of the combined groups occasion for the LA Video games confirmed this system might evolve and that evolution might embrace qualifying as {the golfing} panorama continued to vary.
“We’re not locked in,” Scanlon instructed NewsWire.
“We have reviewed our schedule and now we’ve received an additional occasion. We’re additionally at present reviewing the qualification system and we’ll should have that finalised by the tip of this 12 months.
“What we would like is the strongest discipline attainable and in addition essentially the most numerous by way of the nationwide Olympic committees.
“We’ll take a look at the world rankings and whether or not that’s the finest state of affairs or if there’s another technique that we have to do to tick these containers.
“Nothing is about in stone and we’re decided to get the strongest discipline attainable.”
Any adjustments might additionally affect LIV gamers from South Africa and England, together with English star Tyrrell Hatton.
LIV headliner Jon Rahm stays Spain’s highest-ranked participant regardless of dropping to 75 on this planet, however that might change by the point the LA Video games come round given the “churn” that takes place within the sport.
“The most effective gamers are competing in world rating occasions at majors and in addition these which are collaborating on the Asian Tour., so there may be alternatives for people who have a imaginative and prescient to be a part of the Olympic Video games,” Scanlon mentioned.
“However as I mentioned, we’ll take a look at how we will go about getting the very best discipline.
“For each sport that’s on the Olympic program, it’s the worldwide federation that works out the qualification system and the IOC then ratifies that.
“And we’re managing that course of.”
Scanlon mentioned the emotion proven by the likes of world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who was in tears standing on prime of the rostrum in Paris, has franked Olympic gold as a driving power for golfers and cemented it as a part of the Video games.