Hideki Matsuyama plays a shot from a bunker on the 18th hole. GETTY IMAGES

Japanese golfer Matsuyama is one of the many golfing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games hoping to get be amongst the medals. He completed his first round with 63 strokes, eight under par. American Xander Schauffele is second with -6 and Joaquin Niemann, Emiliano Grillo and Tom Kim are tied on -5.

Le Golf National has opened its doors to the men's Olympic tournament. It became known worldwide for hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup. It was the second time that the tournament that pits the United States against Europe had been played on the continent, outside the British Isles.

As in the usual tournaments, there are four days of competition. 60 golfers are playing for medals. No one can win on the first day, but there are already several players who have fallen far short of the top.



Colombian Camilo Villegas and Australian Min Woo Lee could only complete the 18 holes with 76 strokes, +5. Two players from whom more could have been expected. At 13 strokes behind the leader and 10 of those who mark the medals after the first day of competition. Too far behind. The same can be said of the American Wyndham Clark, +4 today, or even the British Matt Fitzpatrick, +2.

On the positive side, Japan's Hideki Matsuyama dominated the first day. He carded a 63, eight under par, close to the course record of 61. He made no major mistakes, no bogeys and eight birdies, including four in a row between holes 7 and 10. Where he failed to make any was on the last four holes, the theoretically most difficult at Le Golf National.

American Schauffele, this year's US Open and The Open champion and Tokyo 2020 gold medallist was second today, 65 strokes back, -6, just two behind the day's leader. He only slightly marred his round with a bogey on the 17th hole.



For bronze, there would be a tie right now. Chile's Niemann, Argentina's Grillo and South Korea's Kim all finished with -5 on the first day. But they have a lot of players close behind. Among those who have finished with -4 are the American Scottie Scheffler, world number 1, the Spaniard Jon Rahm (eagle on holes 3 and 14, but double bogey on 16), the British Tommy Fleetwood or the Austrian Sepp Straka.

Other players with great posters who have also started well are the Canadian Corey Conners, the Irishman Rory McIlroy and the Swede Ludvig Aberg, who have made 68 strokes, -3. Aberg is one of the new sensations of golf. This year, in his first participation in the Augusta Masters, he finished second, behind Scheffler. The Australian Jason Day finished with -2, as did the Chinese Taipei C.T. Pan, bronze medallist in Tokyo.

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler walk on the sixth hole. GETTY IMAGES
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler walk on the sixth hole. GETTY IMAGES

Although not too many players have been identified as clear favourites for the medals, golf is a sport in which surprises are commonplace. Tokyo 2020 was a case in point. Slovakia's Rory Sabbatini, 45 years old and without major victories since 2011, won the silver medal.

The day ended later than expected. A storm warning forced play to stop while the last matches of the day were still being completed. After some time, the competition was able to resume and conclude.

The next three days are scheduled to start each day at 9:00 local time. On Sunday, the final podium and the third Olympic champion in golf's recent history will be announced. The sport was included in Paris 1900 and St. Louis 1904, but it was not until Rio 2016 that it was revived. In Brazil, it was Britain's Justin Rose who was the champion, while Schauffele won it in Tokyo 2020 and defended the title in Paris 2024.