Fresh from US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau missing out on the Olympic Games in Paris, a trio of Dutch players have now controversially been overlooked – much to their fury.
The Dutch golf athletes have strongly criticized their national Olympic Committee following their exclusion from the Paris Games.
Similar to Bryson DeChambeau, the reigning US Open champion, several male players from the Netherlands will not be participating in the upcoming tournament. However, unlike the American star, these players were initially eligible for selection.
Due to a controversial alteration in the selection criteria, the Dutch Committee has decided against sending any male golfers to the Games, citing unrealistic medal expectations. This decision comes as a disappointment for Joost Luiten, a six-time DP Tour winner, as well as Darius van Driel and Dewi Weber. The Netherlands will solely be represented in the women’s competition by Anne van Dam, a prominent Solheim Cup star.
Luiten vented his frustration about the decision in a strongly-worded Instagram post on Wednesday. He expressed his disappointment, stating that despite meeting the criteria set by the international golf federation and the Olympic committee, the Dutch Olympic Committee (Nocnsf) has decided not to send him to the Olympics.
Nocnsf has their own criteria, which includes a good chance of finishing in the top eight, and they believe that Luiten does not have that chance in the 60-men field. However, Luiten pointed out that throughout his 18-year professional career, he has consistently finished in the top 10 almost 20% of the time, even in larger 156-men fields.
In the 2023 season, the percentage stood at 25%. It is truly astonishing that they claim I am incapable of securing a top-eight finish at the Olympics. The @olympics and @nocnsf seem to possess a complete lack of understanding when it comes to golf. Furthermore, they have altered the criteria in December 2023.
Had they implemented these criteria from the beginning in June 2023, I would have successfully qualified in two separate events. This fact is even more distressing to me! I simply cannot comprehend it. It appears that Holland, in their typical fashion, only comprehends sports that are traditionally Dutch, clearly excluding golf. It is a sorrowful and agonizing situation.
Van Driel, another DP Tour champion, also chimed in, expressing his frustration on Instagram: “Joost Luiten, Dewi Weber, and I won’t be participating in the Olympics, even though we qualified. The @nocnsf has no understanding of golf, and it’s truly disappointing that we’re facing the consequences now.
“We’re opting out due to political factors. The Dutch Golf Federation made grave errors by accepting the unreasonable requirements for national qualifications. It’s a sorrowful day for Dutch golf. Shame on you.”
The circumstances surrounding DeChambeau’s nonattendance are distinct, albeit equally controversial in the perspective of certain fans. Being a LIV Golf player, the 30-year-old is solely able to accumulate ranking points through the majors.
Despite his remarkable recent triumph at Pinehurst, capitalizing on Rory McIlroy’s late collapse, he fell short of securing a spot on the team bound for France. The US team will comprise of Scottie Scheffler, the current world No.1, Xander Schauffele, ranked third globally, Wyndham Clark, ranked fifth, and Collin Morikawa, ranked seventh. DeChambeau ranked sixth among the Americans, trailing behind Patrick Cantlay in fifth place.
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