Golf at the Rio 2016 Olympics: All you need to know

What's the format?

Golf is making its Olympic comeback in Rio after an absence of 112 years.

The format is the standard four rounds of 18-hole strokeplay scheduled over four consecutive days. The player with the lowest cumulative score will win gold. There is no halfway cut as only 60 players are in each field.

Who are the favourites?

More than half of the men's world's top 10 pulled out citing the Zika virus, leaving Sweden's world number five Henrik Stenson as the top-ranked player.

Americans Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler should also challenge, along with Spain's Sergio Garcia and Brits Danny Willett and Justin Rose.

In the women's event, seven-time major champion Inbee Park leads a formidable South Korean quartet.

What about the British prospects?

In the absence of many leading male golfers, Masters champion Willett and former US Open winner Rose are the top two-ranked Britons. Only the USA have a higher-ranked pair.

In the women's event, 20-year-old Charley Hull and former Women's British Open winner Catriona Matthew face a tough task denying the South Koreans.

When is it on?

The men's event runs from 11-14 August, and the women's event from 17-20 August.

Anything new for Rio 2016?

Only if you compare this year's competition to when golf was last at the Olympics in 1904! Back then, there were men's individual and team events; the former was a matchplay tournament, so scoring was based on the number of holes won rather than cumulative strokes taken.

I didn't know that...

The 116-year reign of American Margaret Abbott as women's Olympic golf champion will finally end in Rio. Women's golf has only been held in Paris in 1900 prior to this summer. Her mum, Mary, tied for seventh in the tournament.

Previous British medallists:

Two (one silver, one bronze)

Most recent British medals:

1900: Walter Rutherford (silver), David Robertson (bronze)

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