The Case for Stacking More Men’s and Women’s Events Together

In a little over 1400 days, Olympic golf will return to our lives. After a pair of tremendous tournaments in Paris, the impending wait for Riviera seems especially cruel. Memories of Scottie and Lydia’s respective wins, each uniquely remarkable, will have to suffice until Los Angeles in 2028.

The past two weeks showcased the best of professional golf: superstars, unknowns, veterans, and newcomers all playing for something bigger than themselves. The rarity of the occasion is what makes the Olympics the Olympics, but one element this setting provides seems illustrative for the greater professional game: couldn’t back-to-back men’s and women’s tournaments be replicated more often?

The benefits of consecutive events are numerous, but one that played out perfectly this year was how closely the men’s and women’s storylines synced up. Jon Rahm and Lydia Ko both built large leads by the early part of the back nine. Rahm faltered all the way in, while Ko steadied herself after a double bogey shrunk her cushion. Fans, broadcasters, and even Ko herself were aware of the similarity, with Ko admitting to Rex Hoggard in her post-round interview that she was trying to not think about Rahm’s collapse as she played the back. It’s unrealistic to think things would play out so closely if this happened more often, but it certainly made the final stretch of holes on Saturday more intriguing.

The moment Lydia Ko became a GOLD MEDALIST AND LPGA HALL OF FAMER! 🥇👏

📺 Golf Channel and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/CUg7j4VaoR

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024

Another positive immediately apparent when play began on Wednesday: the women’s tournament benefits greatly from the infrastructure of a men’s event already being in place. Cameras, coverage, and personnel rivaled and in many cases exceeded every major championship the women have played this year. This is regularly a huge hurdle for the women’s game, where week in and week out the LPGA expected to deliver an engaging product despite a relative dearth of resources. This week, though, the women’s tournament didn’t look and feel lesser. It was a breath of fresh air for regular viewers, and it certainly presented an excellent point of entry for anyone tuning in for the first time.

Playing consecutive tournaments isn’t without its issues. The course would have to fit two pools of competitors who play the game very differently. Le Golf National wasn’t perfect; it’ll end up being one of the hardest courses the women play all year. But for two weeks in a row, it delivered diverse leaderboards and plenty of drama. Stacking events like this is a recipe for success for the game as a whole, and certainly something fans should get to see more than once every 1400 days.

[Image via official Olympic site]

This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.