As Milano Cortina gets underway, the countdown is on to Los Angeles 2028

This summer marks 10 years since Golf returned to the Olympic Games after more than a century away, and so far we have had three spectacular tournaments in Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Paris, with some of the greatest golfers in the world contending for a taking the medals. In Rio Justin Rose duelled with 2016 Open Champion Henrik Stenson and came out on top in dramatic fashion. Then five years later after the pandemic pushed Tokyo back to 2021 Xander Schauffele secured the Gold, Rory Sabbatini claimed silver after a final round of 62, and Taiwan's CT Pan stunned the rest by claiming bronze after a 7-man playoff including Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Paul Casey, Collin Morikawa, Sebastian Munoz and Mito Pereira.

In Paris the dominant World Number One Scottie Scheffler produced a final nine holes for the ages to overcome Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy, adding Gold to his Green Jacket. In the women's tournaments we have also seen the giants of the game claim the medals. In Rio Inbee Park winning by five shots over Lydia Ko, and six over Shanshan Feng, before Nelly Korda claimed the Gold in Tokyo ahead of Mone Inami and Lydia Ko. In Paris Ko completed the 'Olympic Grand Slam' of all three medals, claiming the Gold by 2 strokes from Esther Henseleit and 3 strokes from Lin Xiyu.

It is my opinion that Olympic Golf is the most important development this sport has seen in the modern era, much more important than the FedEx Cup, Race to Dubai or LIV Golf, and it should be treated as if it was a Major Championship, and because of that SHANK will always give it the priority it deserves. SHANK Media includes SHANK, www.shank.golf. GRNDSTND, www.grndstnd.co.uk Matt Hooper Photography, www.mattphotographsyou.co.uk and CHARISMA, www.charismabymh.com, and the entire SHANK Media platform will be utilised to provide unique and comprehensive coverage of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Golf at the LA 2028 Olympic Games

Coverage across SHANK on Facebook, Instagram, X, BlueSky, W, and Threads, and www.shank.golf

Daily reports on the Men's and Women's Individual tournaments, and the Mixed team tournament

Feature articles and interviews

The LA 2028 Olympic Games

Coverage across GRNDSTND on Facebook and Instagram, and www.grndstnd.co.uk

Specific focus on Athletics, Swimming. Surfing, Skateboarding, Basketball, Rugby Sevens and Canoe Slalom

Daily reports, feature articles and interviews

Youth of the World, Assemble

"I call upon the Youth of the World, to assemble four years from now", the immortal words spoke by the President of the International Olympic Committee at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games. A unique part of SHANK Media's coverage will be a series of photography essays in collaboration with models and athletes from across Fife and Angus, and further afield. 'YOUTH OF THE WORLD, ASSEMBLE' will see Matt Hooper Photography work with several models aged 18-29 at Sports venues in Cupar, St Andrews, Dundee and Edinburgh. among others to be showcased. Photo essays will feature sports including Golf, Boxing, Skateboarding, Surfing, Rugby Sevens, Swimming, Athletics, Cycling and Basketball, and the series will be published online at CHARISMA, GRDNSTND and SHANK.

The photography essays will be published in 9 consecutive months in the lead-up to the 2028 LA Olympic Games, and the series will begin in October 2027 on CHARISMA, GRNDSTND and SHANK, with Skateboarding.

I have worked with local Skateboarder Marc Forking in Cupar, shooting across Cupar using a variety of locations including Haugh Park, Burnside East, Ferguson Square and Duffus Park Skate park. I will be shooting with a young golfer soon across St Andrews to showcase the game as you have never seen it before and also i will soon be shooting Boxing with a model, inspired by the Thomas Hoepker book BIG CHAMP. Hoepker collaborated with Muhammad Ali in the 1960's, and the Magnum Photographer's work was published in the book in 2016. Our shoot will take place in Dundee.

SHANK, by Matt Hooper