Huge boost for golf as new mixed team event gets green light for LA Olympics

A new mixed team golf event will be held at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles after being approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

It means that Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda, for example, could be flying the flag for Team USA while Rory McIlroy and Leona Maguire can join forces for Team Ireland.

The new event, which will mark the return of a team competition in the Olympics for the first time since 1904, will complement the men’s individual and the women’s individual competitions at The Riviera Country Club in LA.

Team USA’s Scottie Scheffler shows off his gold medal after winning the men's individual event in the 2024 Olympic in Paris | Andrew Redington/Getty Images

“We’re absolutely thrilled to see a mixed-team event added to the programme for Los Angeles 2028,” said International Golf Federation (IGF) executive director Antony Scanlon.

“Golf was incredibly successful at Paris 2024, and as we continue building on the momentum from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, we’re excited to bring even more attention to our sport through this additional format.

“The athletes were very enthusiastic about their desire to play with their compatriots, and we look forward to watching them compete together in Los Angeles.”

The mixed event will be contested as a 36-hole competition – 18 holes of foursomes for the first round, followed by 18 holes of fourball for the final round.

There will be a maximum of one team per country, with teams comprised of one male and one female who are already qualified for the individual competitions.

The new event will take place after the four-round men’s individual tournament and prior to the 72-hole women’s one.

Golf is one of six sports, joining archery, athletics (4x100m mixed relay), gymnastics, rowing coastal beach sprint and table tennis, to add a mixed-gender competition for LA28.

Scheffler struck gold in the men’s individual event in Paris last year while Lydia Ko won the women’s event before adding the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews a fortnight later.