It is now crunch time in the race to earn a coveted spot at the Olympic Games as qualification for women’s golf at Paris 2024 concludes this weekend.
A total of 60 spots are up for grabs with this week’s Tipsport Czech Ladies Open serving as the final qualifying event on the Ladies European Tour (LET).
Alongside the battle at Royal Beroun, both the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on the LPGA and Island Resort Championship on the Epson Tour will also be taking place. This means there is plenty at stake on all three tours with a bunch of stars still mathematically in the chase to secure a spot at Le Golf National between August 7-10.
Eligibility to compete is determined by the Olympic Golf Rankings, which are calculated using a player’s position in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings as of June 24. The top 15 players in the Rolex Rankings will qualify for the Olympics, with a four-person limit for each country represented in the top 15. Each country that does not already have two or more players ranked inside the top 15 will have a two-person limit. Full details on qualification can be found here.
So how are things looking heading into this crucial final week?
Finland’s Ursula Wikström (World No 313), Morocco’s Ines Laklalech (World No 323) and Austria’s Sarah Schober (World No 330) currently occupy the final three spots. All three are in action at Royal Beroun.
Italy’s Virginia Elena Carta (World No 342) is next up and needs a big week if she is to join Alessandra Fanali in Paris. Following a resilient resurgence, Slovenia’s Pia Babnik (World No 357) can also take the spot of one of her Tour mates with another clutch performance. Both would need, at the very least, a top-10 finish.
Elsewhere, a huge battle for the second New Zealand spot has arisen between LET star Momoka Kobori (World No 291) and Epson Tour winner Fiona Xu (World No 301). With only 10 spots separating the pair in the Rolex Rankings, Kobori can join Lydia Ko in France can she match or better Xu’s result on the Epson Tour. Failure to do so would rely on Xu having a poor week in the States.
Mathematically still in the hunt to also displace her compatriot is Czechia’s Kristyna Napoleaova (World 353). The one-time LET winner sits 64 places behind Sara Kouskova (World No 288). Both are teeing up on home soil this week.
South Africa is also one to keep an eye on. Paula Reto (World No 190) currently occupies the final spot alongside Ashleigh Buhai (World No 40). Teeing up in Czechia this week, Lee-Anne Pace (World No 224) and Nicole Garcia (World No 228) can both catch Reto with a huge performance. Casandra Alexander (World No 212) is not in action.
At the top end, Team GB has two spots with Charley Hull (World No 8) confirmed for Paris. Georgia Hall (World No 34) currently occupies the second spot. Jodi Ewart Shadoff (World No 76) and Gemma Dryburgh (World No 77) are mathematically still in the hunt.
In the Swedish camp, Maja Stark (World No 17) and Linn Grant (World No 27) currently occupy the spots. Their Solheim Cup compatriot, Madelene Sagström (World No 38), can mathematically make the squad but would need to produce something special at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Despite Chiara Tamburlini’s rapid rise, the rookie is absent in Czech meaning the Swiss duo is now confirmed. Morgane Metraux joins Albane Valenzuela after a sensational month – one which included victory at the Jabra Ladies Open.
The Spanish side is also confirmed with Ana Peláez not in action this week. For the third time in a row, Solheim Cup heroine Carlota Ciganda will be joined by Azahara Munoz. Further LET representation is confirmed within France (Celine Boutier and Perinne Delacour), India (Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar), and Denmark (Emily Kristine Pedersen and Nanna Koerstz Madsen).
As for our other big European nation, Germany, much is at stake heading into the third Major of the year with 45 places separating Alexandra Försterling (World No 64) and Olivia Cowan (World No 109). Esther Henseleit (World No 70) sits just behind the four-time LET winner Försterling.
A reminder that following the conclusion of qualification for women’s golf on June 24, Olympic federations then have another three days to confirm their participants for the Games.
