Golf could and should have been part of remodelled Commonwealth Games

Golf was elected as a Commonwealth Games sport in October 2022 and was meant to be part of the games in Victoria, Australia, but after the Australian state pulled out of staging the 2026 event the sport was left off a reduced program.

It is easy to forget that Golf was elected to be part of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, as the slimline games continue in Glasgow this week, but that was the case in October 2022, when the landscape of golf and sport was a little different. The AIG Women's Open is taking place this week at Royal Lytham and St Anne's Golf Club in Lancashire, but the decision to play the event at that venue in this week was only announced in 2023, so Golf being part of the Commonwealth Games calendar would not have presented a scheduling challenge because golf's inclusion was announced well in advance of the R&A's confirmation of the Women's Open.

Glasgow Gailes (Jim Richmond)

It was indicated that the golf competition at the Commonwealth Games was to follow a similar format to that of the Olympic Games, and with just 60 golfers in both the men's and women's competitions, they could have played the tournaments simultaneously on the same course. Glasgow 2026 has also made history by including Para-athletes in the Games program alongside the regular events, and golf's incredible G4D Tour and advances in competition for disabled golfers make a perfect sport to be part of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Men's and Women's G4D events could also be staged simultaneously on one golf course. I would reduce the field to 30 men and 30 women to keep the competition elite, and limit it to the top 30 golfers in the Commonwealth.

One of the key selling points of this Commonwealth Games is the compact nature of the event venues within the city, and Glasgow could definitely offer a championship worthy golf course to host the G4D events within the city. Haggs Castle is a former Scottish Open venue and could have easily hosted the G4D golf event at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and is just 6 miles from Scotstoun Stadium, and 3 miles from the OVO Hydro (Ceremonies venue).

Rory McIlroy is the number one male golfer in the Commonwealth and would have competed for Northern Ireland (PGA TOUR/IGF)

The Men's and Women's event could have taken place at Glasgow Gailes, which is part of Glasgow Golf Club, and located across the trainline from Dundonald, the venue for the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open. This would have created a three-week Links swing for both the men and the women.

The men would have played the Genesis Scottish Open at Renaissance, followed by The Open at Royal Birkdale, and the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow Gailes. The women would have played the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow Gailes, followed by the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open at Dundonald, and the AIG Women's Open at Royal Lytham.

And, remember the extraordinary talent in men's and women's golf in the Commonwealth. We would have had a truly compelling four days of championship golf on the west coast of Scotland. Glasgow Gailes is 30 miles south west of Glasgow but it would have provided a great venue for the event, and created a stunning month of links golf.

Lydia Ko is the Olympic Champion and would have been bidding for an unprecedented double (PGA TOUR/IGF)

The 30 men and women could have been selected as follows:

• Leading 30 men and 30 women according to the Official World Golf Rankings and Rolex Rankings

Men's Field Women's Field

Rory McIlroy 2026 Masters Champion Lottie Woad

Matt Fitzpatrick Charley Hull

Tommy Fleetwood Hannah Green

Justin Rose 2016 Olympic Champion Brooke Henderson

Robert MacIntyre Lydia Ko 2024 Olympic Champion

Aaron Rai 2026 PGA Champion Minjee Lee

Tyrrell Hatton Casandra Alexander

Ryan Fox 2026 Open Champion Grace Kim

Min Woo Lee Karis Davidson

Lucas Herbert Anna Huang

Adam Scott Cassie Porter

Corey Conners Mimi Rhodes

Marco Penge Stephanie Kyriacou

Jason Day Choi Robyn

Casey Jarvis Cara Gainer

Alex Fitzpatrick Kelsey Bennett

Nick Taylor Aditi Ashok

Matt Wallace Amelia Garvey

Jordan Smith Kirsten Rudgeley

Harry Hall Alice Hewson

Aldrich Potgieter Diksha Dagar

Jayden Schaper Gabriela Ruffels

John Parry Darcey Harry

Taylor Pendrith Gemma Dryburgh

Shaun Norris Jodi Ewart Shadoff

Christiaan Bezuidenhout Caley McGinty

Sudarshan Yellamaraju Ashleigh Buhai

Garrick Higgo Pranavi Urs

Daniel Hillier Lydia Hall

Hennie Du Plessis Justice Bosio

The field would have included 11 Major Champions, 2 Olympic Champions, 5 former World Number One's and winners of hundreds of tournaments across the major tours of the world, and feature some of the biggest stars in men's and women's golf.

What a missed opportunity, and short sighted decision not to include golf in these games.

SHANK, by Matt Hooper

Matt Hooper is an associate member of the Sports Journalists Association