Jon Rahm and David Puig have qualified to represent Spain in men's golf at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, whose competition will take place at the renowned Le Golf National course between August 1 and 4.

Jon Rahm, from the Basque Country, number 9 in the World Ranking, backed by a solid track record that distinguishes him as an undisputed reference in any competition, has occupied the best position among the Spaniards within the Olympic Golf Ranking – based in turn on the Official World Golf Ranking – at the conclusion of the qualification period, which has taken place from June 13, 2022 to June 17, 2024.

The second male spot on the Spanish golf team is held by David Puig from Barcelona, who finished 113th in the Men's World Ranking, which allows him to occupy one of the 60 Olympic places after meeting a series of requirements and overcoming eliminations.

David Puig's Olympic qualification – a member of LIV Golf since 2023, whose tournaments do not count towards the World Golf Ranking – comes after a spectacular run in recent months, culminating in his last-minute victory after making the cut at the US Open this past weekend. Had he failed to do so, his place would have been taken by Jorge Campillo from Cáceres.

This action, full of suspense – on the first day he scored 76 strokes which required an outstanding comeback on the second, with 68 strokes, to access the final two rounds – culminated several months of hunting and capturing the Olympic objective by participating, with good results, in competitions of other circuits that did generate points before achieving qualification for the US Open, to make matters worse, through a specific prior tournament for this purpose.

It is a curious fact that the two representatives of Spanish golf at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games currently play in LIV Golf, the circuit promoted by the Saudi government.

Two outstanding sporting achievements

The impressive record forged by Jon Rahm since turning professional eight years ago has made him an essential reference point in golf in particular and Spanish sport as a whole, based on his charisma, determination and professionalism.

Jon Rahm, 29, has been at the top of the World Ranking since he burst onto the professional scene in July 2016. Since then, at breakneck speed, he climbed almost immediately to the top positions, even briefly occupying the number 1 spot after winning The Memorial Tournament in July 2020, regaining the world number 1 ranking in 2021 by masterfully winning the US Open.

A Spanish amateur champion from the cadet to the absolute categories, with a sporting curriculum adorned by numerous international triumphs and ten victories in the North American University League before turning professional, Jon Rahm has accumulated eight victories on the European Tour – DP World Tour and another twelve on the PGA Tour since 2017.

Special mention for his victories in two 'majors', the US Open 2021 and The Masters 2023, as well as for his important contribution to the European team's victory in the Ryder Cups of 2018 and 2023.

Spectacular final sprint by David Puig

For his part, David Puig, from Barcelona, 22 years old, a professional since October 2022, accumulated an interesting career in his amateur era, punctuated by triumphs – special mention for the Spanish Championships for Under 12 in 2013, Under 14 in 2015 and Under 18 in 2018 – which also includes his contribution to the gold medals obtained in the Under 18 European Team Championships in 2018 and the Absolute European Team Championships in 2022.

His entry into professionalism was encouraged by the offer to join the roster of players at LIV Golf, where he debuted in 2023. The recent third place achieved in the event held in Houston in early June constitutes his best result within the Saudi circuit, while in the Asian Tour he boasts two victories: International Series Singapore 2023 and Malaysian Open 2024. 

It is worth noting that David Puig's presence at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has materialized spectacularly in recent months, surpassing the barrier established for participants in the LIV Golf tournament of not scoring points in the World Ranking for those events belonging to the Saudi circuit.

To overcome this significant deficiency, David Puig embarked on a journey through other circuits with events that do count towards the World Ranking, climbing positions thanks to his excellent performance in three Asian Tour tournaments that did count towards the Olympic Ranking: victory in the Malaysian Open in mid-February; tenth place in the International Series Oman at the end of February and second place in the International Series Macau in mid-March.

This outstanding performance allowed David Puig to overtake Jorge Campillo, Nacho Elvira, Adrián Otaegui, and Pablo Larrazábal in the Olympic Ranking, becoming the second Spaniard on the list, which has been headed by Jon Rahm among all Spanish golfers. 

Possible substitutions

Jorge Campillo, Adrián Otaegui, Nacho Elvira, and Pablo Larrazábal have secured the following Spanish spots in the Olympic Ranking. Ranked 119th, 124th, 132nd, and 137th respectively in the World Ranking, these four players occupy, in that order, the possible replacements that could occur between now and the start of the Olympic tournament.

NOTE FROM THE SPANISH WOMEN'S TEAM

The official selection of the Spanish women's team will take place on June 25, once the Olympic qualification period has concluded, which in this case runs from June 20, 2020 to June 24, 2024.

GOLFERS' RECORDS SPANISH MEN'S OLYMPIC TEAM

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