Jon Rahm calls for urgent changes made to Olympic Golf Tournament

Jon Rahm has urged the International Golf Federation to change the qualifying criteria and format of the Olympic Golf Tournament.

Rahm, 29, made his feelings be known ahead of this week's 2024 Olympic Golf Tournament at Le Golf National in Paris.

The Spaniard has arrived on French soil fresh off landing a first LIV Golf title in 11 attempts at LIV Golf UK last week. 

READ MORE: RORY MCILROY REIGNITES LIV GOLF WAR WITH BRUTAL RESPONSE AHEAD OF OLYMPICS

Golf qualification for the Olympic Games is limited to 60 players through the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).

The top 15 players on the OWGR are eligible for the Olympics, up to a maximum of four golfers from a single country.

Team USA are therefore the only nation to have four representatives at the 2024 Olympic Golf Tournament - Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark.

After the top 15, the Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) consist of up to the top two eligible players per country, as long as that country does not already have at least two players in the top 15.

Rahm is one of two players representing Spain alongside fellow LIV Golf player David Puig. 

The tournament is 72-hole individual strokeplay. 

But the former World No.1 is not convinced the current qualification system works well enough. 

Scroll down for Rahm's comments...

Rahm believes if the Olympics truly wants to rival itself among the majors, then countries need to be able to select whichever players they want on their teams. 

He would also be keen for the Olympic Golf Tournament to adopt a team format rather than it be individual. 

Rahm told reporters in Paris: 

"I think you can always do it, like with other sports, and allow the countries to pick themselves. There needs to be some guidelines, but like Team USA Basketball has freedom to choose whoever they want," he said on the Olympics golf qualifying process.

"I understand it's a different circumstance, but I think you need to let each country choose who they want to play, and in the future, I would also like to see some team aspect in the Olympics, as well, right.

"I mean, we are here representing Spain. So I would love to actually, as a partner or somehow, whether as a combined sport or us playing together, to be able to represent Spain. That would be extremely nice to share the stage with another player, to do something different, to maybe what we do every other day, right."

Rahm is priced up fourth in the betting at 12/1 to win the Olympic Golf Tournament.

Scheffler is the favourite at 4/1, narrowly ahead of defending champion Schauffele.

Rory McIlroy is another player favoured to win the Olympics.

GolfMagic caught McIlroy in a practice round on the Old Course at St Andrews on Monday.

McIlroy fired back at a loud US heckler on the 18th. 

The Northern Irishman is representing Ireland at the Games. 

He told BBC Sport NI that he is determined to win a gold medal for the first time in his career, but that he doesn't yet think the Olympics is on par with the majors for one big reason.