Rio Olympics 2016, Golf: Top 5 ranked players in the field
A 112 year wait is nearly over for Olympic Golf as the 60 of the best golfers in the world will tee off at the Olympic golf course, Barra da Tijuca on the 11th of August. The sport presents an opportunity for countries to add to their medal kitty and it can prove to be the difference when it comes to the end of the Rio Olympics.
There has been plenty of clamour regarding the field for the event, with golfers across the world having their opinion on the importance of the sport in the Olympics. That debate was put to rest when ‘the greatest ever’ Jack Nicklaus, an 18-time Major winner, said: "All of us who have spent our lives playing and enjoying the game of golf fully understand why it deserved a spot on the Olympic programme.
However, that didn’t stop the likes of World No #1 Jason Day, #2 Dustin Johnson, #3 Jordan Speith and #4 Rory Mcllroy from pulling out of the event, stating fears over the ‘Zika’ virus. At the end of the day, rankings are only numbers and anything can happen over the course of the four days.
The greatest testament to that lies in the fact that Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Jimmy Walker won the 4 Majors this year, all first-time Major winners.
We countdown the top 5 ranked players in the field:
5) Justin Rose - England | World Ranking - 12
36 year old Justin Rose is the lowest ranked player in the field, coming in at #12th due to his recent struggles after the Wells Fargo Championship in May where he came in 3rd. The South African born Justin has serious golfing pedigree, having recorded 7 PGA Tour & 8 European Tour victories in his career.
He also has the distinction of being a Major winner, achieving the feat when he broke England’s 17 year wait for a Major in the 2013 US Open. Perhaps the most dramatic moment of his career came at the 2012 Ryder Cup where he was instrumental in Team Europe’s miraculous victory, holing putts of 10, 35 and 12 feet on the final three holes to defeat Phil Mickelson and Team USA.
His highest ranking is 3rd, a position he held after his win at the 2013 US Open.