Olympic golf has sure turned around with the growing popularity of the game. Remember Rio when the United States sent Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar and Patrick Reed? Eight years is a long time ago. Rickie was ranked eighth in the world back then, Reed and Watson have now famously left the tour for LIV Golf, and Matt Kuchar who placed third on Sunday at the 3M Open was third in Rio winning the bronze medal. The U.S. Olympic Committee could barely get our best to go and now look at our team. The first, second, fifth, and sixth-best players in world will represent the United States in Paris.

Scottie Scheffler (+400) and Xander Schauffele (+600) are the favorites in a field of 60 world-class players. Le Golf National’s Albatross course is the host venue for the 72-hole individual stroke-play competition. No 36-hole cut to consider, these medal-hungry men get four days to try and grab Olympic gold. You may remember this course when you see it on television Thursday. Le Golf National hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup matches.

The target-rich track is a par-71 layout covering 7,174 yards. Much like a LIV event, the odds at the top are very short with such a small field. Assembling eight of the 10 best players in the world will do that. After perusing the betting board, I find myself drawn toward the Mike Tirico-type stories. After all, as evidenced by the 2016 team, the Olympics aren’t an inspiration for everyone. In our weekly Odds Drop video (below), I outline taking Tom Kim (+3000). The South Korean star finished sixth in the 2023 Open de France.

Watch the below video for our favorite bets and players we’re fading for the 2024 Men’s Olympics Golf event:

The DP World Tour competes here every fall, and Kim traveled over to compete last year. An odd trip, I believe he was prepping for the Olympics. South Korean men face mandatory military service unless they can medal in the Olympic games. It’s true, no matter how many majors Kim wins, he’s going into the army unless he can win a medal here or in the Asian games. Talk about career pressure?

Fact is, even without the added incentive, I love Kim on this course anyway. His accuracy and ability to score from short and long range succinctly display why he finished sixth here less than a year ago. Similarly, Tommy Fleetwood (+2200) has some career success at Le Golf National. Fleetwood won the 2017 Open de France. Tommy also took down the USA going 4-1 in the Ryder Cup matches. My concern comes when you peruse the rest of his record on the Albatross. In six trips to the Open de France, Fleetwood has that win … and five missed cuts! For that reason and a mediocre effort at Royal Troon I’m staying away.

Thankfully we are a long way removed from 2016. The athletes/golfers seem more engaged and inspired to compete for their countries. I agree with Steve Hennessey, we might see some medal-worthy work from the home Frenchmen. Make sure you watch and enjoy this mini-major. It’s not often anymore that we get Rahm versus Scottie, Rory, and Xander. The argument over who is still best has yet to be settled and if one if these non-PGA Tour guys should win gold, the conversation passionately continues.

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Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor and content partner with Golf Digest and founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the LPGA and PGA Tour. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter here and raise your golf betting acumen. Keith’s winning content can also be found on SportsGrid, Bleacher Report and The Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline_.

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com