Men's Olympic Golf: Best Bets, Course Info, and Key Stats

Olympic golf was put back on the menu for 2016, and this year, we'll get the third tournament since the early 1900s.

At Le Golf National in France, 60 of the top golfers from across the globe will vie for the gold medal.

You can see how the men's Olympic golf field ranks here at FanDuel Research.

Here's all you need to know about the event.

Le Golf National Course Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Approach
• Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
• Strokes Gained: Putting
• Birdie or Better Rate
• Total Strokes Gained

Over the last four Open de Frances with ShotLink data from the DP World Tour, one thing stands out: strokes gained: approach (SG:APP) is a key stat.

The four champions have ranked third, second, second, and ninth in SG:APP with a bit of a mixed bag elsewhere.

Well, other than putting.

Each of the four winners ranked top-21 in strokes gained: putting. Some drove it well, and some chipped it well, but approach and putting were the two key stats.

Ultimately, ball-strikers (off-the-tee and approach) who can putt will be the main targets.

Olympic Men's Golf Best Bets

All stats cited below originate at datagolf and reference ranks relative to the field over the past 50 rounds unless otherwise noted.

Xander Schauffele (USA)

• Odds To Win (+600)

Schaufele has won two majors this year (the PGA Championship and The Open) and also won first place in the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Among the top-tier favorites, he offers everything you could want in terms of accurate driving, iron play, and putting.

Capping off his season with a second career gold would be quite the accomplishment, and the +600 number is right on par for where he should be based on the last 24 months of data.

Collin Morikawa (USA)

• Odds To Win (+1100)

Morikawa has elevated his game of late, which is saying a lot considering he has won two majors already in his career.

The 27-year-old American has been very involved in majors this season: T3 at the Masters, T4 at the PGA Championship, T14 at the U.S. Open, and T16 at The Open.

Morikawa is one of the most accurate drivers on Tour and one of the best iron players, as well. With elevated putting stats of late, Morikawa makes for a great fit at Le Golf National.

Morikawa finished T4 after losing out in a playoff for the bronze in Japan during the 2020 Games.

Viktor Hovland (Norway)

• To Win (+2200)

Based on the past course trends, ball-strikers who putt well are in a great position at Le Golf National.

That's pretty much Viktor Hovland.

Chipping is a well-known issue for the Norwegian, but the rest of his game is still trucking along pretty nicely.

The last four winners at this course have ranked 113rd, 10th, 52nd, and 67th in strokes gained: around the green, so it's not a must.

Hovland's combination of distance and accuracy off the tee, his precise irons, and his strong putting make him a very interesting name near the top of the board.

Alex Noren (Sweden)

• To Win (+5000)

Noren has a great track record at Le Golf National, including a win in 2018.

In total, he has played the course eight times with seven made cuts and five top-20 results. Three of those were top-10s.

As for the recent form, Noren finished T10 at the Genesis Scottish Open while gaining strokes in all four areas of the game and -- for the most part -- has finished well unless the putter has gone cold. He followed that up with a T13 at The Open.

Noren has 13 top-26 results in 18 starts in 2024.

Keep him in mind for a finishing position, namely a top-10 or top-20.

Byeong Hun An (Republic of Korea)

• To Win (+6500)

An doesn't really fit from an accuracy standpoint but is one of the better iron players in the field and is putting pretty well this season.

An has gained strokes from approach play in nine of his last 10 starts.

An also finished T20 at Le Golf National in 2015.

Over his last 25 starts, An has six top-five finishes and 13 top-25s, so monitor the finishing position odds for An, as well.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.