Jost Ruyten’s increasingly winding journey to a possible Olympic Games in Paris next month has now taken a more positive turn for the Dutch golfer.
The International Golf Federation announced on Saturday, July 13, that six-time DP World Tour champion Luiten will be included in the reallocation list for the 60-player tournament at the Golf National de France.
He is now the first alternate in the 21-player field and could eventually regain his old spot if the likes of Viktor Hovland, Sepp Straka or Adrian Meronk withdraw before the start of the Olympic men's golf tournament on Thursday, August 1.
The International Golf Federation said in a statement: “Based on Joost Ruiten of the Netherlands’ final Olympic golf ranking on 17 June 2024, he has been included in the reallocation list for the men’s Olympic golf competition.
“The International Golf Federation (IGF) acknowledges that the Dutch Olympic Committee made an error in the qualification criteria and subsequently in the confirmation of men’s Olympic golf qualifier Joost Luiten.
(Image source: Getty Images)
“This error has been confirmed through legal proceedings, but only after the entry list for the men’s golf event at the Olympics has been finalised in accordance with the qualification process published by the International Golf Federation.
“As previously announced, the International Golf Federation subsequently made a request to the IOC to expand the men's golf competition at the Olympic Games to allow Luyten to compete, but this request was rejected.”
According to the statement, at the end of the qualifying round, Luyten was ranked 40th in the International Golf Federation (IGF) men's Olympic rankings, so he believes he has successfully qualified as a member of the Dutch team for the Paris Olympics.
He was then informed by the Dutch Olympic Committee that he and fellow Dutchmen Darius van Driel and Dewi Weber had “no reasonable chance of finishing in the top eight during the Games” and that only Dutch star Ann van Dam would represent the Netherlands in golf.
As a result, the 38-year-old announced that he would take the NOC*NSF's decision to court. Luiten won the case and had the decision overturned, but he found that his place in the tournament had been lost.
(Photo credit: Joost Luiten Instagram)
“When the International Golf Federation (IGF) received notification of Jost Ruiten's court ruling in the Netherlands and his approval by the National Olympic Committee of the Netherlands (NOC*NSF), his unused quota was reallocated in accordance with the qualification procedures published by the IGF,” the federation said in a statement on Tuesday.
The International Golf Federation continued to try to convince the IOC to expand the field to 61 players so that Luyten could regain his rightful place in the tournament, but the request was rejected.
Following the IGF's statement, an emotional Luiten took to Instagram to share his obvious frustration.
He said: “I can no longer take the Olympics (International Olympic Committee) seriously! If they say the fundamental principles of the Olympics are integrity, fairness and respect, then you are lying!”
(Photo credit: Joost Luiten Instagram)
“Even though I had qualified according to their own rules and registered before the registration deadline! They wouldn't let me participate! They don't apply Dutch law and my Olympic qualification was already given to someone else because @NOCNSF disqualified me early! Now they don't want to give it back to me!!!”
“I don't see any fair play and respect from the IOC, how can they say the Olympics are built on these fundamental principles? It's all politics, all they care about is having a party with their buddies at the Olympics!”
The world No. 159 played in the Scottish Open this week but failed to make the cut ahead of qualifying for his 10th British Open at Royal Troon next week.
Jost Ruyten could replace all 21 players at 2024 Paris Olympics
- Victor Hovland
- Sepp Straka
- Thomas Detry
- Adrian Melonc
- Sami Valimaki
- Kevin Yu
- CT Pan
- Carl Yuan
- Camilo Villegas
- Adrian Dumont de Chassar
- Shubankar Sharma
- Rafael Campos
- Gavin Green
- Gaganjit Brar
- Nico Echavarria
- Pereira myth
- Chris Ventura
- Zecheng Dou
- Fabrizio Zanotti
- Joel Gilbach
- Tapio Purkanen
