A history-making quartet of Minjee Lee, Min Woo Lee, Jason Day and Hannah Green will represent Australia in Paris, with the four golfers selected by the Australian Olympic Committee today.
Media release
Minjee Lee will become the first Australian golfer to compete at three Olympics, Green returns for her second Games while Min Woo Lee and Day will both make their Olympic debut.
Minjee and Min Woo Lee also make history as the first siblings to compete in Olympic golf for Australia. The pair become the sixteenth Australian sister and brother pair to compete in the same sport at the same Games, a record which stretches back to 1920 with swimmers Lillian and Frank Beaurepaire.
The four players all qualified by virtue of their International Golf Federation Olympic ranking at the end of a two-year ranking period. Green and Minjee Lee finished the period ranked seventh and 11th respectively, while Day and Min Woo are Australia’s highest ranked male golfers at 27th and 36th respectively.
Green matched Australia’s best ever Olympic golf finish with a tie for fifth at Tokyo 2020, and has won two LPGA Tour events already this year. Minjee Lee has 10 career LPGA wins, Day 13 career PGA Tour wins, while Min Woo is the reigning Australian PGA champion and achieved a career-best world ranking of 31st in 2024.
Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission, Anna Meares, welcomed the four athletes to the Team.
“Congratulations to Hannah, Minjee, Jason and Min Woo on earning your spot in the Australian Olympic Team for Paris,” Ms Meares said.
“This group has proven they can perform at a world class level on the international stage and I know they will represent Australia proudly in Paris.
“Minjee will make history twice, as the first Australian golfer to contest three Games and with her brother Min Woo as the first Australian siblings to compete in Olympic golf.
“Congratulations to each of the athletes, Golf Australia and everyone who has helped these athletes book their place on the Australian Olympic Team for Paris.”
The only brother-sister duo to win USGA championships – Minjee won the 2012 US Girls’ Junior and Min Woo the 2016 US Junior Amateur – the Lees will now join Australia’s rich history of Olympic siblings.
“Representing Australia at a third consecutive Olympic Games is truly an honour,” said Minjee.
“The past two Olympics have been among the greatest experiences of my career, and I have no doubt Paris 2024 will only add to that.
“Having my brother in Paris as part of the team will make it a fortnight that our family will treasure forever.”
“Now that it is starting to sink in, representing the Australian Olympic Team alongside my sister at Paris 2024 is actually crazy,” said Min Woo.
“Playing at the Olympics has been a goal of mine ever since Minjee qualified for the Rio Olympics in 2016. Now that it is here, I want to do the green and gold proud and will be doing everything I can to come home with a gold medal.”
Australia’s best performer in the Olympic golf competition in Tokyo three years ago, Green has accumulated two LPGA Tour wins this season and is currently Australia’s highest-ranked golfer at No.7 in the Women’s World Golf Ranking.
“I am so thrilled to be once again representing the Australian Olympic Team at Paris 2024,” said Green.
“Growing up in Perth, I never imagined that I could possibly win an Olympic medal but finishing fifth in Tokyo has been a major motivator the past three years.
“I can’t wait to get to Paris and do the green and gold proud.”
Paris will also mark the Olympic debut for Jason Day, a former world No.1 and the 2015 US PGA Championship winner.
At 36, Day is the veteran member of the squad and thrilled to be representing his country in the Olympic arena.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to represent the Australian Olympic Team in Paris,” said Day.
“Throughout my career – whether on the PGA TOUR, in President Cups and World Cups – I have tried to represent Australia in the best way possible.
“I will wear the green and gold with pride in Paris and would love nothing more than to win a gold medal for Australia.”
Golf Australia CEO, James Sutherland, believes all four athletes will serve as wonderful ambassadors for Australian golf during their Paris 2024 campaigns.
“Golf Australia could not be more proud to put these four athletes forward to represent Australia at the Paris Olympic Games,” said Mr Sutherland.
“In Jason, Hannah and Minjee we have three major champions and, in Min Woo, our reigning Australian PGA champion and a likely major winner of the future.
“We are proud of golf’s place within the Olympic movement and I have no doubt that our Paris 2024 representatives will live up to the Olympic ideals during the two weeks of competition.”
The Golf competition will be held from Thursday 1 August 1 to Saturday 10 August at Le Golf National venue in Guyancourt.
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