DP World Tour stalwart Joost Luiten revealed the lightbulb moment when he knew the law was needed to play at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Luiten was removed from his nation’s squad when the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) decided he was unlikely to finish in the top eight of the men’s event at Le Golf National at the start of August.
The same judgement was handed to Darius van Driel and Dewi Weber, while Anne van Dam was allowed a spot. Despite Luiten earning his spot on merit and the Netherlands Golf Federation presenting data to support Luiten’s participation, the NOC*NSF vetoed the motion and was subsequently criticised by the International Golf Federation responsible for promoting the sport at the Olympics.
So the 38-year-old, winner of six DP World Tour events and a pro for 18 years, went above their heads to court last week where he won his case and claimed what will be his second appearance at the Summer event.
“It is crazy,” he told NCG at the Genesis Scottish Open. “It’s just hard to explain to people that understand golf that I’m 150th in the world. In Holland, they don’t seem to think I’m good enough to get in the top eight, it’s not even about winning medals, their criteria is trying to finish in the top eight, and they don’t think I’m good enough.
“But if you try to explain it to people that understand golf, they say they are f****** mad not to send you because you do have a good chance. I’ve been a professional golfer for 18 years, I’ve got a 20% chance of a top 10 at a tournament over my whole career and that’s with 156 men in the field, not just 60.
“I explained that to them (NOC*NSF) and they still said ‘No you’re not good enough’, so that’s when I thought f*** it, I need somebody who understands golf and the rules to have a look at my case and that’s what the judge did.
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“That’s the tough thing with golf being a new sport and people who don’t know golf make the rules for the golf in the Olympics,” he added. “I think that’s what we need to change in the future, is people that understand golf make the rules for golf and then hopefully, we can have more Dutch people in the tournament.”
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Joost Luiten: Olympics decision went in his favour, but no luck for Van Driel
Van Driel, the victor of the Magical Kenya Open in February, wasn’t as lucky with his own legal battle as revealed by Luiten. He won’t be joining him in the orange of the Netherlands in three weeks, which leaves Luiten and Van Dam in the quest for the gold medal. Van Dam is a five-time winner on the Ladies European Tour.
But the Netherlands has form for disallowing its golfers to go for the podium at the Olympics. In 2021, Luiten and Will Besseling were prevented from competing in Tokyo.
While politics has prevented players who’ve earned their stripes from playing before, it hasn’t been uncommon for stars to scratch their own names from the field which has contributed to the sport’s complicated relationship with the Olympics.
Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Graeme McDowell and Jason Day have all snubbed the event for various reasons in the past. Luiten believes the Olympics and its household interest represent the chance for sports fans to engage with golf and players, branching out from its hardcore group of loyalists.
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“The Olympics is a special tournament, especially this year with what I have had to go through (said smiling and laughing) to get there,” he said. “That’s what makes it special, and the good thing is you get to play for your country.
“The good thing also about the Olympics is a lot of people that don’t really understand golf get an interest in it because it’s the Olympics and normally, they don’t give a s*** about golf, but when it’s an Olympic tournament – for people who do understand golf, it’s all about the majors, it’s not about the Olympics, but for people who don’t play golf, it’s about the Olympics and not about the majors.
“It’s nice to have that type of person following that tournament and it’s different than any other event we play – It’s the biggest sporting event in the world and it’s good that they come up with new sports. I think the longer it’s an Olympic sport, the bigger it will get and more people will understand golf, and you see that with other sports as well, with tennis at the beginning, all the big boys didn’t really want to go.
“I think that’s the same with golf, but now this year, it’s a very strong field, it’s pretty much everybody that’s coming and in the first year in Rio (2016, we had the Zika virus that kept some big names away, but now it feels like its starting to grow and grow, and that’s what the Olympics needs. It needs the best players.
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“It’s maybe different for every player, but to be part of the biggest sports event in the world. It’s once every four years, it’s not like it’s going to affect you every year, so I love to be a part of it.
“It’s funny that I had to spend a lot of money to get to the Olympics just trying to win a lawsuit for a tournament that isn’t going to make me any prize money. It’s not about the money or whatever, it’s about being part of it and trying to make history. That’s what the Olympics is all about and trying to win that medal.
“How cool would it be if I could be the first Dutchman to win a medal in the golf event? In golf, it’s a crazy game and anything can happen. If you have a good week, you could actually win it.”
After this was published, the International Golf Federation released this statement:
“When the International Golf Federation (IGF) received notification of Joost Luiten’s court ruling in the Netherlands and his entry from the Netherlands’ National Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF), his unused quota spot had already been reallocated pursuant to the IGF’s published qualification procedures.
“The IGF was not a party to the legal action brought forth by Luiten in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, in an effort to support Luiten, the IGF sought an exception from the IOC to increase the field size of the men’s Olympic golf competition from 60 to 61 competitors to include Luiten, however the request was denied by the IOC today.
“The IGF has advised Luiten of the IOC’s decision, and he has not informed the IGF whether he intends to pursue this matter further.”
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