Golf, along with rugby sevens, secured entry onto the Olympic Games programme for Rio 2016 at the 2020 Olympics at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Copenhagen in 2009.

Rugby sevens actually made its debut at the last Pan American Games in Guadalajara in 2011 but golf will be making its first ever appearance at the event in Canada, opening the door for the likes of American superstar Tiger Woods (pictured top) to compete for Team USA at Toronto 2015.

The sports programme was confirmed by PASO at the General Assembly in Kingston, Jamaica.


As well as the 28 Rio 2016 Olympic sports that will appear at Toronto 2015; baseball, karate, racquetball, roller sport, squash, softball, tenpin bowling and water skiing will appear on the sports programme.

Of these eight non-Olympic sports, baseball, karate, roller sport, squash, softball and water skiing (the wakeboarding discipline of water skiing) will all be boosted as all are bidding for inclusion on the 2020 Olympic Games sports programme - with baseball and softball making a joint bid.

The court sport of basque pelota is the discipline that makes way for golf, after it was included at the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games.

It is the only one of the 36 sport from Guadalajara 2011 that will not feature at Toronto 2015.

The IOC will now review the programme before it is officially rubberstamped but it is highly unlikely they will make any changes.

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