Men's Olympic Golf Power Rankings: Our Model Says Stars Should Shine in Paris

The men's golf competition kicks off Thursday, and our model says the small field leaves an opening for the biggest stars to compete for gold.

Rory McIlroy will compete for team Ireland this week in Paris. / Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Welcome to Power Rankings, a weekly feature on SI Golf from our partners at KeyCompete. This week the PGA Tour is off, while 60 of the top players in the world head to Paris to compete in the Olympics. Here’s how our model sees the Olympic competition shaping up.

2024 Paris Olympics Preview

The stage is set at Le Golf National for the men's Olympic golf event, and it marks a return to the course that hosted the Ryder Cup in 2018. Le Golf National is a par-71 stretching 7,174 yards, and was designed by Hubert Chesneau and Robert Von Hagge. It features undulating fairways, challenging water hazards and strategically placed bunkers. The course demands precision off the tee and strategic prowess on approach shots. It should be a fine stage for Olympic golf. Here are 10 players our model likes this week:

KeyCompete’s 2024 Paris Olympics Power Rankings

(current odds from DraftKings)

1. Xander Schauffele (+550): Fresh off his second major title of the season, Schauffele enters the Olympics as our favorite. Seemingly has no weaknesses. The defending gold medalist.

2. Scottie Scheffler (+330): From convict to Olympian–that’s tongue-in-cheek, but after a season that’s included a green jacket, an emphatic rise to No. 1 and a needless arrest at the PGA Championship, Scheffler arrives in Paris as the oddsmaker’s top choice. Has an eye-popping six wins on Tour this year.

3. Collin Morikawa (+1000): Make it three Americans for our top three spots. Morikawa brings precision iron play and a calm demeanor to Le Golf National. His recent major success positions him as a strong medal prospect, even though he’s been a notch below Schauffele and Scheffler this season.

4. Rory McIlroy (+750): Powerful game and wealth of experience make him a perennial contender. Olympic glory would complement other career achievements.

5. Ludvig Aberg (+1200): Emerging as a rising star. Ball-striking machine—we don’t think he’ll be rattled by the bright lights.

6. Jon Rahm (+1000): Known for fiery passion and exceptional shot-making, aggressive style aligns well with Le Golf National. Winner of last week's LIV UK event. Member of winning European Ryder team at this venue.

7. Shane Lowry (+2500): The 2019 Open champion and flag bearer for his home country of Ireland. Will be ready.

8. Tommy Fleetwood (+1800): Winner here at the 2017 French Open and starred for Europe at the 2018 Ryder Cup.

9. Corey Conners (+3000): Strong ball-striker. Consistent. Could break through for Canada.

10. Viktor Hovland (+2500): Seems to run hot and cold this season, but this course, full of risk and reward opportunities, is in a great spot to recapture his form.

 

2024 3M Open Recap

Jhonattan Vegas hung on to win the 3M Open by one shot, ending a winless drought that had lasted nearly seven years—in fact, Vegas hadn’t even recorded a top-10 on Tour in more than two seasons. That win was truly out of nowhere and a great story. Keycompete had a solid week of matchup bets that brought our season record to 135-75.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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