Dutch golfer Joost Luiten has emerged victorious in his legal battle to participate in the upcoming Olympic Games. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has denied his request to be included in the men's golf event in Paris.
Luiten has enjoyed a robust period in his golf career, currently ranking 67th in the Race to Dubai on the DP World Tour and 159th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). At 38, he boasts nine professional victories, including the 2018 Oman Open. Initially, he qualified for the Olympics in 40th place among the required 60 golfers, based on the Olympic Golf Ranking table aligned with the OWGR for the qualifying period.
Everything seemed in place for Luiten to represent the Netherlands in golf during the first week of August. Nevertheless, the Netherlands Golf Federation stated that the Dutch Olympic committee informed Luiten that he did not demonstrate a reasonable chance of achieving a top eight ranking during the Olympics, according to AP.
Luiten, along with fellow Dutch golfer Darius Van Driel and female competitor Dewi Weber, were denied the opportunity to represent their country. Meanwhile, Anne Van Dam was accepted to represent the Netherlands in the Olympics.
Luiten took the matter to court and won his case. However, due to passed deadlines, his spot had been filled by another golfer, as per the International Golf Federation (IGF), which oversees golf at the Olympics. The IGF revealed that the IOC refused to create an additional spot for Luiten.
"I can't take the Olympics (IOC) seriously anymore - if they say the fundamentals of the Olympic Games are about integrity, fair play and respect," Luiten commented. "Even though I have been qualified by their rules and entered before the entry deadline. They won't let me play."
Luiten even offered to cover his expenses, but his place was already taken by Finland's Tapio Pulkkanen, who ranks 408th on the OWGR. The future of this saga remains uncertain; we shall wait and see.
