Mixed-Team Golf May Be Coming to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles

The International Golf Federation has put in a submission with the International Olympic Committee for mixed-team golf.

Akshay Bhatia with teammate Jennifer Kupcho during the final round of the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club. / Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Mixed-team golf may be coming to the Olympics in 2028.

Antony Scanlon, executive director of the International Golf Federation, told Golf Channel's Rich Lerner that the IGF put a submission to the International Olympic Committee at the beginning of last year for men and women to represent their countries together at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.

“There was about 23 events at the Olympic Games in Paris that were mixed teams events,” Scanlon said. “There's great, great enthusiasm amongst our players to do that event at the games to add to the success that we've had with the individual events of the men and the women. And with an event such as the Grant Thornton [Invitational] ... it's another opportunity for our athletes to display their skills together ... and to win another medal.” 

Logistically, how would it work?

“We'll have the men start on Wednesday rather than on the Thursday of the first week of the Olympics,” Scanlon said. “So if they would play from Wednesday through to Saturday, similar to what we've been doing with the women's competition at the games and they will finish Saturday.

“Then the following Sunday, Monday we would probably start with four-ball and then foursomes — a 36-hole event and then winners get medals.

“And then two days later on the Wednesday, the women's competition would start and, and finish on the Saturday as per what we've done in the previous games.” 

The appetite for mixed golf has increased in recent years. In 2023, the Grant Thornton Invitational became the first mixed-gender PGA Tour/LPGA event since the JCPenney Classic in 1999. Its second edition was played this past weekend—and players expressed a desire for more mixed-team competitions.

“I was telling (Jennifer Kupcho), I feel like a Ryder Cup kind of scenario of LPGA and PGA [Tour] would be so much fun,” Akshay Bhatia said Sunday at the Grant Thornton. “I think everyone out here will probably rate this tournament a 10 out of 10 every time.” 

Kupcho added: “I think it's great for both men's and women's game. I think even like coming up the juniors, boys and girls play together, so it's great to see us on the professional level coming together.”

And they may be playing together for an Olympic medal in 2028.