After a disappointing withdrawal and some last-second reshuffling, Team USA has officially finalized its roster for the Tokyo Olympics golf competition. And boy, is it impressive.

The United States will be represented by Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, and Patrick Reed at Kasumigaseki Country Club this week. With four of the five highest-ranked golfers in the field at this year’s Olympics, Team USA should accept nothing less than a gold medal.

Team USA’s stacked golf roster for the Olympics

Team USA has by far the most impressive group of players ready to compete for their country in Tokyo this week. With World No. 1 Jon Rahm withdrawing due to a positive COVID-19 test and World No. 2 Dustin Johnson deciding not to compete, the Americans boast the three highest-ranked players in the Olympic field this year.

Morikawa is up to No. 3 in the OWGR after winning the 2021 Open Championship, while Thomas and Schauffele are right behind him at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. Team USA was also supposed to have World No. 6 Bryson DeChambeau on the squad, but a positive COVID-19 test knocked him out of the competition. In his place will be Reed, who’s ranked No. 12 in the world.

There’s only one player in the field, Norweigan Viktor Hovland, ranked in between Schauffele and Reed in the OWGR.

The four-man United States team has won a combined 32 PGA Tour events and four major championships. It’s time to add an Olympic gold medal to that list.

Three Americans sit atop the odds board

With Rahm/Bryson both out, Open champ Collin Morikawa now the Olympic betting favorite for men's golf. Updated odds via @PointsBetUSA:

7/1 Morikawa
9/1 Xander
10/1 JT
11/1 Rory
12/1 Hovland
14/1 Hideki/Reed/Casey
20/1 Ancer/Lowry
25/1 Smith/Niemann
30/1 Conners/Im
33/1 Fleetwood

— Will Gray (@WillGrayGC) July 25, 2021

If you don’t think winning pedigree and world ranking makes Team USA the prohibitive favorite to take home gold this week, you might want to listen to Las Vegas oddsmakers. The top three favorites on the Olympic odds board are incredibly all Americans.

Morikawa leads the field with +700 odds to win the competition. Right behind him is Schauffele at +900, and Thomas brings up the rear at +1000.

Rory McIlroy of Team Ireland is next at +1100, and Hovland is right in the mix at +1200. Then comes Reed, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, and Paul Casey of Great Britain all with +1400 odds to win.

No excuse for Team USA not to bring home the gold medal in golf

Golf returned to the Olympics five years ago for the first time since 1904, and the Americans put together a solid performance from front to back. Rickie Fowler finished in 37th place, but Reed finished in a tie for 11th and Bubba Watson tied for eighth. And of course, Matt Kuchar represented the United States the best by bringing home the bronze medal.

But this year’s stacked roster can’t settle for just bronze.

Americans represent eight of the top 10 golfers in the world and 14 of the top 20 in the current OWGR. USA-born players have also claimed 20 of the last 28 major championships on Tour.

The United States is so far ahead of every other country in the world in professional golf. With four of the top five ranked players in the Olympic field and the three biggest favorites on the odds board this week, Team USA shouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than a gold medal in Tokyo.

All betting odds courtesy of PointsBet