Leading up to the Zozo Championship in Japan, Tiger Woods was asked about whether he wants to play in next summer’s Olympics, where golf will be part of the program following its debut in Rio after a 112-year hiatus.
He made it clear making the U.S. team for Tokyo 2020 “is a big goal.”
“I don’t see myself having too many opportunities other than next year,” he told Reuters in an interview. “Four years from now, at the next Olympic Games, I’ll be 48 years old. To be one of the top Americans at that age is going to be tough.”
With his surprising victory Monday in the Zozo, Woods proved he’s right in the mix for a spot in Tokyo although there’s a long way to go in the qualification period. Tiger is No. 6 in the latest Olympic rankings, the fourth American at the top of the list following No. 1. Brooks Koepka, 3. Dustin Johnson and 4. Justin Thomas.
Before the Zozo, Patrick Cantlay (sixth) was the fourth American in the Olympic rankings behind 1. Koepka, 3. Johnson and 4. Thomas.
Woods also moved up two spots to No. 6 in OWGR.
For the Olympics, the United States can take the maximum four players if they are ranked in the top 15. Otherwise the maximum is two per country.
The two-year qualification period ends June 22, 2020 (after the U.S. Open on the PGA Tour schedule), and the Olympic tournament begins with the men July 30.
According to the IGF, the rankings are based on each tournament earning a strength-of-field rating, which determines how many ranking points will be awarded to top finishers. Points are awarded to players based on their finish positions in each event, with performances in stronger-field events earning more points in accordance with a points distribution table approved by the IGF. Olympic golf ranking points for 2020 started on July 1, 2018.
