Major champions Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer and Louis Oosthuizen joined Masters and U.S. Open winner Dustin Johnson in declining playing spots in the men’s golf competition in next month’s Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The field of 60 was finalized Tuesday; the replacement list was also determined.
The men’s competition will be held July 29-August 1 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Japan. The women’s competition is August 4-7 at the same locale.
Representing the U.S. will be Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau. Johnson said in March he would not be playing if he earned one of the USA’s four spots. Patrick Cantlay is the team’s first reserve.
“I’m going. I’m so excited. It’s going to be one of the best things of my life,” 2020 PGA champion Morikawa said after tying for fourth in the U.S. Open last Sunday. “To think back that I was an amateur two years ago, literally two years ago, and to be on this team and to be heading to Tokyo puts a smile on my face.”
Garcia, who played in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and tied for eighth, will not join world No. 1 and newly minted U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm in playing for Spain.
“This has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life. I love the Olympic Games, but my first priority (is) to represent Spain on the international stage in the Ryder Cup. My number one goal is to identify in the European team without having to wait for hopeful invitations. Representing Spain in the Olympic Games is an honor and an enormous responsibility that requires 100% of your mental effort,” Garcia said in a message he posted on social media.
He will be replaced on the team by Rafa Cabrera Bello, who tied for fifth in Rio.
South African and 2010 Open championship winner Oosthuizen, who finished runner-up in the U.S. Open, was replaced by Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Germany’s two-time major champion Kaymer was replaced by Hurly Long.
Also deciding not to play were England’s Tyrrell Hatton, ranked No. 11 in the world, Matthew Fitzpatrick, ranked No. 21, and Lee Westwood, ranked No. 27. England will be represented by No. 20 Paul Casey and No. 33 Tommy Fleetwood.
The field was restricted to the top 60 in the OWGR. The world’s top 15 players would be eligible, with a country limited to four players. After that, players will be eligible based on the world ranking, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15.
The medal winners from the Rio Olympics did not qualify – England’s Justin Rose (gold medal), Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (silver) and USA’s Matt Kuchar (bronze).
Full Olympic men’s golf field, teams
Argentina
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Emiliano Grillo
Emiliano Grillo inspects the green on the eighth hole during the final round of the 2021 RBC Heritage. (Photo: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports)
Australia
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Cameron Smith
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Marc Leishman
Marc Leishman wears a wig when introduced to the fans to poke fun at his partner Cameron Smith on the 1st tee during the third round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. (Photo: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports)
Austria
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Matthias Schwab
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Sepp Straka
Matthias Schwab after the 15h hole tee during the second round of the Barracuda Championship golf tournament at Old Greenwood. (Photo: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports)
Belgium
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Thomas Detry
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Thomas Pieters
Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters of Belgium pose with the trophy after winning the 2018 World Cup of Golf at The Metropolitan on November 25, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Canada
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Corey Conners
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Mackenzie Hughes
Mackenzie Hughes during the final round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports)
Chile
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Joaquin Niemann
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Mito Pereira
Joaquin Niemann waves after making his putt on the 5th green during the second round of the Valspar Championship. (Photo: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)
China
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Carl Yuan
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Ashun Wu
Carl Yuan tees off for the final round of the Louisiana open at Le Triomphe, Sunday, March 21, 2021.
Colombia
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Sebastian Munoz
Sebastian Munoz chips up to the 15th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship on the Ocean Course Thursday, May 20, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C. (Photo: Chris Carlson/AP)
Czech Republic
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Ondrej Lieser
Denmark
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Rasmus Hojgaard
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Joachim B Hansen
Rasmus Højgaard plays his shot from the seventh tee during the final round of the 2021 PGA Championship held at the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island Golf Resort on May 23, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
Finland
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Kalle Samooja
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Sami Valimaki
Kalle Samooja plays his shot from the seventh tee during the second round of the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Resort’s Ocean Course on May 21, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
France
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Victor Perez
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Antoine Rozner
Victor Perez plays his shot on the 14th hole against Matt Kuchar at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club on March 28, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Darren Carroll/Getty Images)
Germany
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Maximilian Kieffer
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Hurly Long
Great Britain
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Paul Casey
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Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood at the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports)
India
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Anirban Lahiri
Anirban Lahiri looks at his ball on the ninth green during the first round of the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo: Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press)
Ireland
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Rory McIlroy
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Shane Lowry
Rory McIlroy (left) and Shane Lowry (right) walk on the fifth hole during the Wednesday practice round of the PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club. (Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Italy
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Guido Migliozzi
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Francesco Molinari
Guido Migliozzi plays his shot from the fifth tee during the third round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports)
Japan
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Hideki Matsuyama
Dustin Johnson presents Hideki Matsuyama with the green jacket after winning the 2021 Masters. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)
South Korea
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Sungjae Im
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Si Woo Kim
Si Woo Kim reacts after a birdie putt on the 17th green during the final round of The American Express at PGA West Peter Dye Stadium Course. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports)
Malaysia
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Gavin Green
Gavin Green celebrates after he makes a birdie on the eighteenth during Day one of the D+D Real Czech Masters at the Albatross Golf Resort on August 15, 2019 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Mexico
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Abraham Ancer
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Carlos Ortiz
Abraham Ancer hits out of a bunker on the 2nd hole during the first round of the Masters. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)
Norway
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Viktor Hovland
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Kristian K Johannessen
Viktor Hovland plays his shot from the sixth tee during the first round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)
New Zealand
Ryan Fox acknowledges the crowd on the 10th green during the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Ballyliffin Golf Club on July 6, 2018 in Donegal. (Photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Paraguay
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Fabrizio Zanotti
Fabrizio Zanotti reacts to his birdie on the eighth hole during the third round of the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship on March 27, 2021 in Punta Cana. (Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Philippines
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Juvic Pagunsan
Juvic Pagunsan poses with a trophy after winning in Japan at the Mizuno Open on May 30, 2021, at JFE Setonaikai Golf Club in Kasaoka, Okayama Prefecture. (Photo: Kyodo via AP Images)
Poland
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Adrian Meronk
Adrian Meronk plays his third shot on the 18th hole during the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Country Golf Club on November 28, 2020 in Malelane, South Africa. (Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images)
Puerto Rico
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Rafael Campos
Rafael Campos of Puerto Rico walks up to the 18th green during the final round of the Puerto Rico Open at Coco Beach on March 26, 2017 in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. (Photo: Michael Cohen/Getty Images)
Slovakia
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Rory Sabbatini
Rory Sabbatini stands on the 10th hole during the first round of the Sony Open golf tournament at Waialae Country Club. (Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
South Africa
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Garrick Higgo
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Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Garrick Higgo kisses the trophy after winning the Palmetto Championship at Congaree golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports
Spain
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Jon Rahm
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Rafa Cabrera Bello
Jon Rahm celebrates with the trophy after winning the 121st U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)
Sweden
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Alex Noren
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Henrik Norlander
Henrik Norlander tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 18 ahead of the 2020 RSM Classic. (Photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Taiwan
C.T. Pan tees off from the ninth hole during the second round of the RBC Heritage. (Photo: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports)
Thailand
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Jazz Janewattananond
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Gunn Charoenkul
Jazz Janewattananond reacts on the 14th green during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Bethpage State Park – Black Course. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports )
United States
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Justin Thomas
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Collin Morikawa
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Xander Schauffele
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Bryson DeChambeau
Xander Schauffele on the 6th tee during a practice round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)
Venezuela
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Jhonattan Vegas
Jhonattan Vegas hits off the third tee during the final round of the Palmetto Championship golf tournament in Ridgeland, S.C., Sunday, June 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Zimbabwe
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Scott Vincent
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