Lilia Vu
Photo by: Steven Bisig - USA Today
Four Bruins Named to Olympic Women’s Golf Teams
June 25, 2024 | Women's Golf, Olympics
UCLA alumnae Emma Spitz (Austria), Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand), Mariajo Uribe (Colombia) and Lilia Vu (USA) will represent their respective countries at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, as announced on Tuesday when the women's golf field was finalized.
Olympic Golf Format & Background
Paris 2024 will host the XXXIII Olympic Summer Games from July 26-Aug. 11. The Women's Olympic Golf Competition will be held at Le Golf National from Wednesday, Aug. 7-Saturday, Aug. 10. The Olympic Golf Competition consists of a 72-hole individual stroke play for both men and women. Scores are cumulative from round to round. The player with the lowest aggregate score wins. This marks the fifth Olympic Games featuring golf as a discipline and third Games featuring women's golf.
The Rolex Women's Golf World Rankings were used to determine the eligibility of the 60-player field. Countries are allowed up to two players unless more players are ranked inside the top 15, with a maximum of four representatives.
UCLA Women's Golf at the Olympics
Emma Spitz, who will be making her Olympic debut, is the only golfer representing Austria. Spitz has spent the last two years golfing on the Ladies European Tour after departing UCLA in 2022 and ranks 10th in the Tour's Order of Merit and 182nd in the Rolex Golf World Rankings. In 14 tournaments in 2024, Spitz has six top-10 showings, including a runner-up finish at the Amundi German Masters.
Tavatanakit, one of two golfers representing Thailand, made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games. She tied for 23rd (-5, 279) which featured a final-round -3, 68. Turning pro in 2020, Tavatanakit is slotted 25th in the latest Rolex Golf World Rankings with 18 career top 10s and two victories. She has recorded two wins on the LPGA Tour, including a major championship at the 2021 ANA Inspiration Championship. Most recently in February 2024, Tavatanakit entered the winner's circle at the Honda LPGA Thailand (-21, 267). She has secured two other top-10 placements this year at the Mizuho Americas Open and HSBC Women's World Championship.
Vu, who will also be making her Olympic debut, is one of three golfers representing the United States. Vu took the golf world by storm in 2023, being crowned as Rolex Player of the Year at 26 years old after capturing four wins, including two major championships at The Chevron Championship and the AIG Women's Open. With her five victories on the LPGA Tour, Vu owns the winningest professional résumé by a UCLA golfer. Most recently, Vu won the 2024 Meijer LPGA Classic on June 13-16 after not playing a tournament in over 10 weeks due to a back injury. Vu's win came in playoff fashion after fighting from eight strokes entering the final round. She is the second-ranked golfer in the Rolex Golf World Rankings.
Uribe will be competing in her third Olympic Games in Paris as Colombia's lone representative. She tied for 19th (-3, 281) in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and tied for 50th (-1, 290) in 2020 in Tokyo. Turning pro in 2009, Uribe has 14 top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour and a 198th Rolex Golf World Ranking. She also won individual and team golds at the 2015 Pan American Games.
Olympic Golf Format & Background
Paris 2024 will host the XXXIII Olympic Summer Games from July 26-Aug. 11. The Women's Olympic Golf Competition will be held at Le Golf National from Wednesday, Aug. 7-Saturday, Aug. 10. The Olympic Golf Competition consists of a 72-hole individual stroke play for both men and women. Scores are cumulative from round to round. The player with the lowest aggregate score wins. This marks the fifth Olympic Games featuring golf as a discipline and third Games featuring women's golf.
The Rolex Women's Golf World Rankings were used to determine the eligibility of the 60-player field. Countries are allowed up to two players unless more players are ranked inside the top 15, with a maximum of four representatives.
UCLA Women's Golf at the Olympics
Emma Spitz, who will be making her Olympic debut, is the only golfer representing Austria. Spitz has spent the last two years golfing on the Ladies European Tour after departing UCLA in 2022 and ranks 10th in the Tour's Order of Merit and 182nd in the Rolex Golf World Rankings. In 14 tournaments in 2024, Spitz has six top-10 showings, including a runner-up finish at the Amundi German Masters.
Tavatanakit, one of two golfers representing Thailand, made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games. She tied for 23rd (-5, 279) which featured a final-round -3, 68. Turning pro in 2020, Tavatanakit is slotted 25th in the latest Rolex Golf World Rankings with 18 career top 10s and two victories. She has recorded two wins on the LPGA Tour, including a major championship at the 2021 ANA Inspiration Championship. Most recently in February 2024, Tavatanakit entered the winner's circle at the Honda LPGA Thailand (-21, 267). She has secured two other top-10 placements this year at the Mizuho Americas Open and HSBC Women's World Championship.
Vu, who will also be making her Olympic debut, is one of three golfers representing the United States. Vu took the golf world by storm in 2023, being crowned as Rolex Player of the Year at 26 years old after capturing four wins, including two major championships at The Chevron Championship and the AIG Women's Open. With her five victories on the LPGA Tour, Vu owns the winningest professional résumé by a UCLA golfer. Most recently, Vu won the 2024 Meijer LPGA Classic on June 13-16 after not playing a tournament in over 10 weeks due to a back injury. Vu's win came in playoff fashion after fighting from eight strokes entering the final round. She is the second-ranked golfer in the Rolex Golf World Rankings.
Uribe will be competing in her third Olympic Games in Paris as Colombia's lone representative. She tied for 19th (-3, 281) in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and tied for 50th (-1, 290) in 2020 in Tokyo. Turning pro in 2009, Uribe has 14 top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour and a 198th Rolex Golf World Ranking. She also won individual and team golds at the 2015 Pan American Games.
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