New qualification parameters have been set for golfers for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic Games.

The International Golf Federation today announced that, in light of the one-year delay to the Games because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the new 2021 cut-off dates for qualification are 21 June for men and 28 June for women.

The IGF changed the dates to reflect the International Olympic Committee's revised qualification principles criteria set out earlier this month after the 2020 Games were postponed.

"We are pleased that the IOC swiftly approved these changes to provide clarity on this important area," IGF executive director Antony Scanlon said.

"The IGF will continue to work closely with the IOC and Tokyo 2020 to address the other areas that the postponement of the Games affects our sport and our athletes, to develop the necessary plans to resolve these.

"We remain fully committed to providing safe and fair golf competitions and a memorable experience for our athletes when these Olympic Games are held in 2021."

Olympic golf rankings are based on the respective men's and women's official world rankings, both of which are currently suspended because of the pandemic.

Under the revision, ranking points for each player accumulate over a multi-year rolling period with the points awarded in the most recent 13-week period weighted at 100 per cent of their original value.

After the initial 13-week period, points are devalued by 1.1 per cent for each of the next 91 weeks (during which the ranking was not suspended) before they drop entirely off the player’s record.

Each player is then ranked according to his/her average number of points, which is determined by dividing the total number of ranking points she/he has earned by the number of tournaments in which she/he has played in that period.

The top 15 players at the end of the qualifying period will be eligible to play in the Olympics, with a limit of four players from any country. Beyond the top 15, players will be eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players in the top 15.

Host Japan will be guaranteed a spot, as will each of the five continental regions in the respective 60-person fields.

If the Australian teams were selected today, Adam Scott and Marc Leishman would be eligible for the men's team, with Minjee Lee and fellow West Australian Hannah Green eligible for the women's team.