Scottie Scheffler confirms he’ll play in 2024 Paris Olympics after birth of son

Scottie Scheffler confirmed Tuesday he plans to represent the United States in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

“Yeah, I’m definitely planning on playing,” Scheffler told the media ahead of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. “Becoming an Olympian would be a dream come true, for sure. It would be a nice little thing to trash talk my buddies about when they say golfers aren’t athletes. I can claim I’m an Olympian. But yeah, I think that’s definitely a tournament that’s been on my schedule and I’ll definitely be playing there if I’m able.”

Golf at the Olympic Games takes place Aug. 1-11 at Le Golf National in Guyancourt. The top 15 players on the Official World Golf Ranking are eligible for the Olympic Games, up to a maximum of four golfers from a single country. As the No. 1 player in the world, Scheffler was a shoo-in for the U.S. depending on his desire to play.

Scottie Scheffler looking to capture another major, first PGA Championship

Scheffler, 27, arrived at Valhalla on Monday and received congratulations at every turn after he and his wife, Meredith, welcomed their son, Bennett, into the world this past Wednesday. Scheffler has been inactive on the PGA Tour since winning the RBC Heritage on April 22, one week after capturing his second green jacket at The Masters the week prior.

“At home, it was a nice time to reflect a little bit on my career so far and where my life has gone,” Scheffler said. “I married my high school sweetheart and I always wanted to play professional golf and now I’m here. I was sitting there with a newborn in my arms and the green jackets sitting in my closet — it was a pretty special time at home but at the same time, I think the competitiveness in me doesn’t let me reflect too much and I was still just trying to do my best to get ready to play this week.”

Despite the time away, Scheffler remains the betting favorite to win at Valhalla. Scheffler, who has already won four tournaments this season, is attempting to become the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2015 and the fifth player since 1960 to win the first two majors of the calendar year.