As you’re reading this newsletter, the women’s Olympic competition is underway at Le Golf National. The field of 60 features 13 of the top 15 golfers in the world competing for the rarest prize in golf: an Olympic medal. For each golfer, the importance of representing her country the next four days can already be felt. Earlier this week, players attended other Olympic events, watched fellow athletes win medals, and felt the scope of the biggest stage in all of athletics. Now it’s their turn to compete, and what lies ahead is an opportunity as rare as a spot on the podium. It’s a chance for women’s golf to have its largest audience ever.

The Paris Olympics have been massively successful. From unknown underdogs to superstar redemptions, Paris 2024 will be remembered as an all-time edition of the Olympics. Here in the United States, NBC has seen advertising and ratings numbers dwarf previous versions of the games. Americans can’t get enough, consuming more Olympics coverage than ever before.

All of this bodes well for the golfers currently making their way around Le Golf National.  Viewership for the sport has increased in recent years, but major championships and the Solheim Cup can’t match the power of the Olympics. Nothing on the women’s golf schedule comes remotely close to the exposure those in contention will get over the coming days. It’s a fact not lost on the players as many of them echoed the significance of the stage in their pre-tournament press conferences. When asked about how an Olympic gold would rank compared to a major, Lilia Vu stated, “To me, it would rank a little higher than a major, I think in the sense that you’re playing for your country and it’s more than just golf.”

A bold stance, yes, and a stance that a player who hasn’t already won two majors like Vu might not share. The sentiment is important though. Olympic golf has been taken seriously by the women since it was reintroduced in 2016. The best golfers have embraced it and turned up in all three editions. The players know this week is bigger than all the rest. Some would disagree with Vu’s position, preferring the prestige and historical importance of a major. But all of them know that the Olympic lights are the brightest, and that they offer a unique chance for women’s golf to shine.

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