Golf kicks off at the Olympics 2020 five years after its grand return in Rio 2016 – following a 112-year absence from the Games – but the reigning men's champion won't be there to defend his gold medal.

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British star Justin Rose walked away with the top honour in Brazil but has failed to qualify for the tournament, as have silver and bronze medallists Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar.

The Kasumigaseki Country Club will host the men's and women's events over the coming days and weeks, with golf set to draw plenty of interest as some of the finest players in the world convene to do battle for supremacy.

Five of the top 10 male players in the world will feature, including No.3 Justin Thomas and No.10 Rory McIlroy, though No.1 Jon Rahm and maverick star Bryson DeChambeau have both tested positive for COVID and have been replaced by Patrick Reed for USA and Im Sung-jae for South Korea.

In the women's game, it's an incredibly strong field, with the entire top 15 players in the world all featuring, including top-ranked star Nelly Korda.

RadioTimes.com brings you the full guide to watching golf at the Olympics including times, dates and a full TV information for the women's and men's tournaments. Plus check out what's on with our guide to the Olympics on TV today.

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When is golf at the Olympics?

The men's and women's golf tournaments at the Olympics will be held back-to-back, starting with the men on Thursday 29th July running until Sunday 1st August – a traditional four-day event.

The women's event runs from Wednesday 4th August until Saturday 7th August.

Check out our guide on how to watch Olympics 2020 or see Olympics on TV today for more details, timings, and exclusive expert analysis from some of the biggest names in world sport over the coming weeks.

Sir Chris Hoy, Beth Tweddle, Rebecca Adlington, Matthew Pinsent and Dame Jess Ennis-Hill are among the stars we have to being their esteemed opinions, so don't miss what they have to say.

Which golf players are at the Olympics?

We've already mentioned a few of the big names in Tokyo, but here are the top 10 ranked players in both the men's and women's tournaments:

Men's tournament

  1. Justin Thomas (United States)
  2. Collin Morikawa (United States)
  3. Xander Schauffele (United States)
  4. Patrick Reed (United States)
  5. Rory McIlroy (Ireland)
  6. Viktor Hovland (Norway)
  7. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan)
  8. Paul Casey (Great Britain)
  9. Abraham Ancer (Mexico)
  10. Im Sung-jae

Women's tournament

  1. Nelly Korda (United States)
  2. Ko Jin-young (South Korea)
  3. Inbee Park (South Korea)
  4. Kim Sei-young (South Korea)
  5. Danielle Kang (United States)
  6. Kim Hyo-joo (South Korea)
  7. Brooke Henderson (Canada)
  8. Yuka Saso (Philippines)
  9. Lexi Thompson (United States)
  10. Lydia Ko (New Zealand)

How to watch golf at the Olympics

Each day of golf will begin at 11:30pm in both the men's and women's tournaments and run into the early hours of the next morning.

You can tune in to watch the golf on an array of platforms including BBC iPlayer, Eurosport Player and discovery+. Certain rounds may also be shown on BBC's TV channels should the drama dictate a schedule change, so keep an eye out for announcements throughout the tournament.

Golf at Olympics – TV schedule

All UK time.

Men's tournament

Thursday 29th July – Round 1 (11:30pm)

Friday 30th July – Round 2 (11:30pm)

Saturday 31st July – Round 3 (11:30pm)

Sunday 1st July – Round 4 (11:30pm)

Women's tournament

Wednesday 4th August – Round 1 (11:30pm)

Thursday 5th August – Round 2 (11:30pm)

Friday 6th August – Round 3 (11:30pm)

Saturday 7th August – Round 4 (11:30pm)

Find out how you can watch the Tokyo 2020 Olympics closing ceremony.

Read more – check out our comprehensive guides to the Olympic sports: Baseball and Softball | Canoeing | Gymnastics | Karate | Shooting | Swimming | Table Tennis | Weightlifting

Radio Times Olympics Special issue is on sale now.

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If you’re looking for something else to watch check out our TV Guide or visit our Sport hub for all the latest news.

Authors

Michael PottsSport Editor

Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.

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