Thomas, Harden, Durant to go for Olympic gold
PGA Tour pros Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau have been chosen to represent the United States in the golf competition at the Tokyo Olympics next month.
The players were selected based on points accumulated at tournaments from July 2018 through Sunday, which was the final round of the U.S. Open.
Each of the Americans must accept the invitation to Tokyo to become an official members of the team. Should any of them pull out, Patrick Cantlay is next in line for Team USA.
Don’t expect Morikawa to reject the invite.
“I’m going. I’m so excited,” Morikawa, 24, said. “It’s going to be one of the best things of my life. 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.”
He is now ranked No. 4 in the world, trailing Thomas and ahead of Schauffele and DeChambeau. Cantlay is No. 7.
Also qualifying for the Olympics were newly minted U.S. Open champion and World No. 1 Jon Rahm of Spain, Rory McIlroy of
Ireland, Tyrrell Hatton and Paul Casey of Great Britain, Viktor Hovland of Norway and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.
None of the three medalists from the 2016 Rio Games qualified for Toyko — gold medalist Justin Rose of Great Britain, silver medalist Henrik Stenson of Sweden or bronze medalist Matt Kuchar.
In all, 60 golfers will play in the men’s competition from July 29-Aug. 1 at the East Course of the Kasumigaseki Country Club, a private club in Saitama about 40 miles northwest of Tokyo.
Adebayo ‘yes’ Curry ‘no’
USA Basketball’s Olympic men’s roster is getting closer to filled, with now as many as eight spots on the 12-person team claimed.
Brooklyn’s James Harden has told the national team that is committed to playing U.S. men’s national team next month at the Tokyo Games, said a person familiar with the decision. Miami’s Bam Adebayo has also informed USA Basketball of his intention to play for the team at the Tokyo Games.
Adebayo’s decision was first reported by ESPN, and he confirmed it Monday to The Associated Press. Harden’s decision was first reported by The Athletic, then confirmed to AP on condition of anonymity because neither the Nets star nor USA Basketball has publicly announced the move.
The eight commitments, for now, all either confirmed by people with knowledge or by the player publicly: Adebayo, Harden, Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, Golden State’s Draymond Green, Washington’s Bradley Beal, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Portland’s Damian Lillard.
One of the final spots, though, won’t be going to Golden State’s Stephen Curry. The person with knowledge of the situation said Curry has declined an invitation to be part of the team, citing offseason commitments.
“I think our guys have been through this enough to realize what’s best for them, what’s best for their body and what their ultimate goal is,” Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks said Monday. “It’s very difficult to turn down playing for your country and having the opportunity to go out there, and having a heck of a summer and win an Olympic gold medal.”