'Very Real Possibility' Of Mixed Golf Format At 2028 Olympics

The International Golf Federation, the governing body for golf in the Olympics, has confirmed reports from earlier this year that a proposal was made to the International Olympic Committee for a mixed golf event at the 2028 Games in LA.

The proposal was for 16 teams of two playing 36-holes, one round of foursomes and one round of four-ball better ball. It is 'likely' that each country would only have one team to allow for the 'broadest possible representation'.

The individual events would still happen, with fields of 60 men and 60 women, and teams would be decided from the individuals who qualified via the Olympic Golf Ranking.

The proposed mixed event would happen on the Sunday and Monday between the men's and women's individual events, which would see the men's four-day tournament moved back a day from Wednesday to Saturday.

International Golf Federation Executive Director Antony Scanlon believes the LA 2028 organizers are "fully supportive" of the mixed golf format, and top male and female pros are also in support.

“At the beginning of next year, they should make the decision as to what events will be in the program for L.A.,” Scanlon said.

“And we're hoping that the fact that there's no additional athletes and no additional resources required that the mixed event would be approved by them, especially given the support of the organizing committee.”

The 2028 LA Games' golf tournaments will be held at the iconic Riviera Country Club, host of the PGA Tour's Genesis Invitational as well as the 1948 US Open and the PGA Championship in 1983 and 1995.

Americans Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda each won gold for Team USA last time out at Tokyo 2020 (played in 2021 due to Covid-19).