RIO DE JANEIRO, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The winners of this year's Olympic golf competitions will automatically qualify for the sport's major tournaments in 2017, officials said on Tuesday.

The men's winner will earn a berth in the 2017 Masters, US Open, British Open and US PGA while the women's victor will receive an exemption for the 2016 Evian championship and next year's four majors.

"New audiences from all over the world, some for the very first time, will be exposed to our great sport (during the Olympic Games) and come to know and appreciate the amazing athletes and heroes in golf," Augusta National chairman Billy Payne was quoted as saying by Rio2016.com.

"From this greater visibility, we believe will evolve greater participation in our game."

Sixty men and 60 women will participate in the Olympic golf competitions in Rio in August.

The top 15-ranked players in the world are automatically eligible to compete with no country allowed more than four players.

The Rio Games mark golf's return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.