Dutch golfer Joost Luiten has won a court case, but his unused quota spot will not be used for the Paris Olympics, and the International Olympic Committee will make an exception, the International Golf Federation (IGF) said on Tuesday.
Luiten took the Netherlands’ National Olympic Committee to court last week after the body refused to enroll him in the men’s golf event in Paris, although he was eligible, claiming that in a 60-player field his 147th world ranking at the time meant he had little chance of success.
However, the IGF, which uses the Official World Golf Ranking to determine eligibility, didn’t have a say in the matter after learning that Luiten had won the case at a court in the Netherlands. Court from the Netherlands and the notification from the National Olympic Committee of the Netherlands that his unused quota spot had already been reallocated.
“Nevertheless, in an effort to support Luiten, the IGF protested to the International Olympic Committee to increase the field size of Men’s Olympic Golf from 60 to 61 players to admit Luiten. However, the IGF learned today that the International Olympic Committee has declined the IGF’s request”. The IGF said in a statement:
