How to qualify in Golf
How golfers qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
Golf at Los Angeles 2028 has a men's and a women's individual event of 60 players each, and a mixed team event of 16 pairs. There are no tournaments to qualify through: every place comes from the Olympic Golf Ranking in June 2028, which is drawn from the world rankings.
- Top 15: a country can have up to four players, if all are in the top 15.
- After that: at most two per country, going down the ranking until 59 places are filled.
- Every continent gets at least one player per event.
- The United States as host is guaranteed one man and one woman.
The points that count were earned from June 2026 onwards (8 June for women, 22 June for men), so the race for India is already on. A country without a top-15 player can have at most two players per event.
The mixed team is made up of players already in the individual events: the 16 countries with the highest-ranked player (man or woman) get a team.
The places
| Men | Women | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Golf Ranking | 59 | 59 | 118 |
| Host country | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Universality | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 60 | 60 | 120 |
There are no universality places in golf; the continental guarantee does that job. The mixed team adds no places: its 32 players are already in the individual events.
Who can play: listed on the Olympic Golf Ranking on its final date (or on the IGF reserve list), in good standing with their national federation and the IGF, and licensed by their federation.
The Olympic Golf Ranking
Published every Tuesday on igfgolf.org. Men's events are those counted by the OWGR; women's those counted by the women's world ranking. Each event has a strength-of-field rating that sets the points on offer.
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Points earned from | 22 June 2026 | 8 June 2026 |
| Final ranking | Monday 19 June 2028 | Monday 5 June 2028 |
| Divisor (events played over two years) | Minimum 40, maximum 52 | Minimum 35 |
Points count in full for 13 weeks, then lose 1.1 per cent a week for 91 weeks. The ranking is the average: total points ÷ events played. See the golf ranking page for how points are earned.
Ties for any of the 60 places: the most world-ranking points in the last 52 weeks, then in the last 13.
Selection order (each event)
- Players in the top 15, up to four per country.
- From 16th down, up to two per country (counting any top-15 players), until 59 places are filled.
- Each of the five continents gets at least one player; if one has none, its best-ranked player gets a place.
The mixed team: 16 pairs
The 16 countries are ranked by their single highest-ranked player, man or woman, on the final rankings (the Olympic Mixed Team Event Ranking, set on 19 June 2028). Each picks one man and one woman from its individual players. The United States gets a team as host if not in the 16. Countries with more than one choice can name their pair up to two hours after the third round of the men's event (21 July 2028).
The host country
If the United States has no man or no woman qualified, its best-ranked player gets a host place. If it does not need the place, the place goes to the next player on the ranking.
Places turned down
The next eligible player on the final ranking, within the per-country limits. The IGF publishes a reserve list and fills withdrawals until its technical meetings: 18 July 2028 (men), 22 July (mixed team), 25 July (women).
Dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 8 June 2026 | Women's qualifying period opens |
| 22 June 2026 | Men's qualifying period opens |
| 5 June 2028 | Women's final ranking |
| 6 June 2028 | Women's ranking published; countries told |
| 19 June 2028 | Men's final ranking; mixed team ranking set |
| 20 June 2028 | Men's ranking published; countries told |
| 22 June 2028, 17:00 US Eastern | Countries confirm |
| 24 June 2028 | Reallocation completed |
| 26 June 2028 | Entries deadline for the Games |
| 19 to 22 July 2028 | Men's event |
| 23 and 24 July 2028 | Mixed team event |
| 26 to 29 July 2028 | Women's event |
A date that does not fit. The women's final ranking is 5 June 2028 throughout, but section F.1.1 refers to the "OGR of 6 June 2028 for women" for the reserve list.
Where to follow it
igfgolf.org publishes the Olympic Golf Ranking every Tuesday.