Date: June 11, 2017
Author: Mark Hayes

Olympic golf returns for 2024

Golf will remain in the Olympic Games through at least 2024.

The International Olympic Committee has approved that all 28 sports from the 2016 Rio Games will return in 2024.

Golf made its return to the Olympics in 2016 for the first time since 1904. Justin Rose and Inbee Park left Brazil with gold medals after thrilling last-round heroics.

The sport was already a lock for Tokyo in 2020, but there had been questions about golf's future as an Olympic event after a spate of high-profile withdrawals before the Rio Games.

But two great tournaments and enthusiastic response from players present and fans worldwide helped convince officials golf was worthy of a return.

Australia did not bag a medal, but all four of its representatives put in a bold showing. Marcus Fraser shot an Olympic-record 63 (later matched by Matt Kuchar) with a stunning opening 63 before ultimately finishing fith, with Queenslander Scott Hend T39. On the women's side, Minjee Lee and Su Oh were both in medal contention in the final round, but finished T7 and T13, respectively.

Separately, the IOC executive put forward a proposal to simultaneously award the 2024 and 2028 Games, referring to the "great candidatures" of Los Angeles and Paris as a "unique opportunity" to break with tradition of naming one city each four years.

The decision to formally award the 2024 and 2028 Games is expected later this year with the French capital a strong favourite to win the nod.