Why The Most Recent Women's Major Champion Isn’t Playing In The Olympics
Ayaka Furue won the Amundi Evian Championship less than a month before the women’s Olympics golf tournament, so why isn’t she playing?


When Ayaka Furue went five-under on her closing five holes to dramatically capture her maiden Major title in July’s Amundi Evian Championship, it cemented her reputation as one of the game’s brightest talents.
However, despite the 24-year-old’s achievement, she isn’t one of the two Japanese players competing at the women’s Olympics golf tournament in Paris this week. But why is that?
The short answer is that the qualifying period for the Le Golf National tournament ended after another Major, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June, and at that time, Furue was lower in the world rankings than the two who are representing Japan at the event, Yuka Saso and Miyu Yamashita.
Nevertheless, while the cold stats of the world rankings show that the duo claimed their places fairly and squarely, there’s no denying that Furue was desperately unlucky to miss out, despite the biggest win of her career coming a month after the cut-off.
Miyu Yamashita and Yuka Saso are playing for Japan at the women's Olympics tournament
As the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship began, Furue had been on course – just – to qualify for the Olympics. She was ranked well below sixth-placed Saso at 20th in the world but one place above Nasa Hataoka and two higher than Yamashita.
Then everything changed in the final round. Yamashita’s form held up in difficult conditions with a 73 to secure a T2 finish, which was enough to move her from 22nd in the world rankings to 19th, just one spot above Furue. Agonizingly for Furue, her T19 at Sahalee Country Club left her fractions of a point short of what she needed to finish the qualifying period higher in the rankings than her compatriot.
Miyu Yamashita edged out Furue with her T2 at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship
After the event, it appeared the door still hadn’t completely closed on Furue’s chance to become an Olympian, as Yamashita cast doubt on whether she would take her place, saying: "I'm happy that I could finish in second place in this championship and then I'm just going to try my best to represent Japan if I play [in the] Olympics."
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Had Yamashita opted not to compete in Paris, that would have handed the opportunity for Furue as the next highest-ranked Japanese player, but utimately, it wasn’t to be. That means that, even though Furue, at eighth in the world, was the top-ranked player from her country heading into the games, she isn’t taking part.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
-
Max Homa Splits With Caddie Joe Greiner
Homa and his long-time caddie Joe Greiner have parted ways after six PGA Tour victories together
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Sandy Lyle Shared 3 Top Tips With Us Prior To Winning The Masters in 1988... And They Could Still Save You Shots 37 Years Later
The 1988 Masters Champion shared his expert tips in the January 1988 issue of Golf Monthly, but they are still absolute gems for amateur golfers to this day...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Augusta National Women’s Amateur Winners: Where Are They Now?
The Augusta National Women's Amateur was first played in 2019 and, since then, a number of the tournament's winners have gone on to forge superb careers
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Augusta National Women's Amateur 2025 Tee Times - Round One
Lottie Woad returns to defend her Augusta National Women's Amateur title, with the Amateur World No.1 getting her first round underway alongside Amateur World No.2 Jasmine Koo
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Rianne Malixi Withdraws From Augusta National Women's Amateur With Back Injury
Rianne Malixi had been among the favorites going into the Augusta National Women's Amateur, but the US Women’s Amateur champion has been forced to withdraw due to injury
By Matt Cradock Published
-
How To Watch Augusta National Women’s Amateur: Live Streams, TV Channels, Schedule
This year will be the sixth running of the event, with 23 nationalities competing and with the final round played around Augusta National's iconic course.
By Roderick Easdale Last updated
-
Augusta National Women's Amateur 2025 Picks, Odds And Predictions
The Augusta National Women's Amateur returns for a sixth time, and many of the leading female players from all over the world will do battle in Georgia
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
T-Mobile Match Play Prize Money Payout 2025
Nelly Korda defends her title as a field of 64 competes for an eye-catching purse at Nevada’s Shadow Creek Golf Club
By Mike Hall Published
-
'I Left Actually A Good Four Shots Out There' - Charley Hull Shoots Career Best LPGA Round But Had A 59 On Her Mind
Charley Hull felt a 59 was on the cards as she shot a career-best 63 at the Ford Championship, but came off the course feeling she'd left at least four shots out there
By Paul Higham Published
-
Charley Hull Makes Driver Change Ahead Of Ford Championship 63
The World No.10 moved into the new TaylorMade Qi35 LS ahead of this week's Ford Championship in Arizona, where she got off to a fast start
By Elliott Heath Published