Monsieur Morikawa and Le Longshot: The Bearded Talisman's picks for the Olympic Golf Gold Medal in France

The Bearded Talisman’s 4 picks for the Gold Medal at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France

Collin Morikawa to WIN (11-1) – Le Golf National places a premium on driving accuracy, and Morikawa is 4th on the PGA Tour in this category.   Morikawa has not missed too many fairways over the last 4 months; and, in his last 10 starts counting The Masters in early April,  he has 6 Top 10s and 5 Top 5s.   His world ranking in that span has climbed from 20th to 6th.  About the only thing missing from Morikawa’s stellar 2024 season is a win.   With 2 majors already under his belt in his career, the moment is not too big for him. 

Tommy Fleetwood to WIN (20-1) – Fleetwood won the French Open on this same course in 2017.  He followed it up with a successful Ryder Cup performance in 2018.   He’s currently ranked 14th in the world, including being 8th on Tour in driving accuracy.   While he has never won on American soil, he’s won 7 times on the European Tour.   While he did miss the cut at The Open, his track record following a MC leads you to believe he will play WELL this week.    Fleetwood is looked at as an “always the bridesmaid never the bride” golfer in big events, but given his solid play in 2024 and track record on this course, this may be the setting where he finally gets it done.

Sepp Straka to WIN (45-1) – Ranked 26th in the world, the big Austrian is #1 on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy.     Straka has had 5 Top 12s in 2024, and had a respectable T-22nd finish at The Open, after finishing T-2nd at The Open in 2023.   Look, betting Straka over the years is like a box of chocolates but his game should be very well-suited to this course, and at 45-1 I cannot pass on him.  Trust me, he can win this.

Guido Migliozzi to WIN (80-1) – Seventeen weeks into the 2024 golf season, Migliozzi was ranked 274th in the world.   Then in week 18, he finished 2nd at The Volvo China Open.   In week 22, he finished 8th at The European Open, and then in week 25 he WON the KLM Open.   After a respectable T-31st at The Open, Migliozzi is now ranked 131st in the world.    In 2022, Migliozzi won the French Open on this very course, a stunning comeback victory after trailing by 13 strokes after 36 holes.   Call Guido “Le Longshot”.   80-1?   I’m hammering it.