While the race for powerhouse countries like the United States and South Korea is always interesting when it comes to the Olympic Games, a large part of the field remains relatively unknown to most golf fans.
As it currently stands, 15 players ranked outside the top 200 would qualify for the 60-player field. Many of those players do not have status on the LPGA.
With a qualifying cutoff date of June 24, or just after the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, players will have roughly six months to shore up a spot. The women’s Olympic event will be held Aug. 7-10, immediately after the men’s competition.
Here’s a review of how qualifying works:
The International Golf Federation utilizes the Rolex Rankings to create its own Olympic Golf Rankings. The top 15 players in the world are eligible for Paris, with a limit of four players from any given country. Currently, the United States is the only country with four players.
The rest of the field will come straight from the rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players in the top 15.
The host country, France, is ensured at least one spot, which will go to Celine Boutier, who is currently No. 3.
With a maximum of four players from the likes of the U.S. and South Korea, a number of highly-decorated players will once again be left at home.
Here’s a look at the 15 players currently ranked outside the top 200 of the Rolex Rankings (with their Olympic ranking) who have a shot at Paris:
206. Manon De Roey, Belgium (46)
A rookie on the LPGA in 2023, the 32-year-old represented Belgium in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, where she tied for 46th. The former New Mexico player made only two cuts in 14 starts on the LPGA last season.
214. Matilda Castren, Finland (47)
The first player to from Finland to win on the LPGA, Castren tied for 18th at the 2020 Olympics. The 28-year-old finished 73rd on the Race to CME points list after a streak of six missed cuts starting with the Amundi Evian.
230. Daniela Darquea, Ecuador (48)
Darquea finished the 2023 LPGA season 113th on the CME points list. The former Miami player tied for 38th at the 2020 Olympics. She made 18 starts in 2023, the last coming in August at the Portland Classic.
245. Emma Spitz, Austria (49)
Former UCLA player made her professional debut at the 2022 Skafto Open, where she tied for 10th. Spitz played full-time on the LET last season where she finished 53rd in the Race to Costa del Sol. In 2018, Spitz became the first Austrian to win the R&A’s Girls Amateur.
248. Maddie Szeryk, Canada (50)
A rookie on the LPGA in 2022, the 27-year-old Szeryk finished 102nd in the Race to CME last year. A two-time All-American at Texas A&M, Szeryk made aces in her first and final collegiate events.
254. Natasha Andrea Oon, Malaysia (51)
Oon finished second on the Epson Tour money list in 2023 to earn her LPGA card. The Malaysian collected four second-place showings before capturing the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout – her first professional title – late in the season. The 2023 Epson Tour Rookie of the Year played collegiately at San Jose State where she won the 2022 Juli Inkster Award.
255. Sara Kouskova, Czech Republic (52)
Former Texas player has four professional wins on the LET Access Series, including one in 2021 as an amateur. In 2022, Kouskova became the first Czech player to win the Order of Merit on the LET Access Series. Kouskova finished 55th on the LET’s Race to Costa del Sol last season.
289. Virginia Elena Carta, Italy (53)
The 2016 NCAA champion held off her professional career after graduating from Duke to pursue a Master’s degree at Cambridge. While there, she took part in the The Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society, known simply as The Society. She now competes on the Ladies European Tour, which she joined in 2022.
292. Ursula Wikstrom, Finland (54)
This 43-year-old Finnish player turned professional more than 20 years ago. She has one professional victory – the 2017 EVLI Ladies Finnish Open – and a number of runner-up showings on the LET. Wikstrom represented Finland at the 2016 Rio Olympics where she tied for 44th.
295. Sarah Schober, Austria (55)
The 31-year-old Austrian player won back-to-back NJCAA Championships while competing for Redlands Community College before transferring to the University of Florida. Schober joined the LET in 2017.
After South Africa’s Paula Reto tested positive to COVID-19, Schober was offered a spot in the 2020 Summer Olympics. But the Austrian Olympic Committee opted not to send her, and the field’s final spot went to India’s Diksha Dagar.
298. Alessandra Fanali, Italy (56)
Former Arizona State player joined the LET in 2023 and after birdieing her final hole at Q-Series to secure the card. Fanali had lost her ball in a palm tree earlier in that final round, and it cost her two shots. She finished 46th in the Race to Costa del Sol, securing five top-10 finishes.
308. Pia Babnik, Slovenia (57)
The 19-year-old has two wins on the Ladies European Tour and a third-place finish at an LPGA major – the 2022 Chevron Championship. She secured her LET card at the tender age of 16. After such a strong start to her professional career, Babnik struggled on the LET in 2023.
312. Dewi Weber, Netherlands (58)
Former Miami player earned her LPGA card through Q-School for the 2022 season. Weber finished 120th on the Race to CME points list in 2023. Her best finish was a tie for 16th at the ISPS Handa World Invitational.
317. Madelene Stavnar, Norway (59)
The 23-year-old Norwegian player first qualified for the LET at age 16. While she has never won on the LET, she did notch a runner-up finish last year at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open. Stavnar finished 34th on the LET’s Race to Costa del Sol in 2023.
336. Dottie Ardina, Philippines (60)
The 30-year-old Ardina teed it up in 14 events on the LPGA last season with her best finish, a share of 10th, coming at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. Ardina finished second on the Epson Tour money list in 2018 to earn LPGA status for the next season. The Filipino qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio but withdrew due to the Zika virus threat.
