Peter Thomson or Greg Norman could ensure Australia has a winner in Olympic golf before a ball is hit with the IOC set to announce the successful bidder to design the course for the 2016 Rio Games.

Golf is making a return to the Olympics for the first time in more than a century and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will name the course designer on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) while on a three-day inspection of the city.

Also guaranteed for the 2020 Games, golf hasn’t been played at the Olympics since the 1904 St Louis Games and the opportunity to put their name to the historic course attracted a lot of interest from the big guns of the course design world.

The winner will be picked from eight finalists: Gary Player Design, Greg Norman Golf Course Design, Hanse Golf Design, Hawtree Ltd, Nicklaus Design, Renaissance Golf, Robert Trent Jones II and Thomson-Perret Golf Course Architects, who are based in Melbourne.

Jack Nicklaus, who was believed to be the early favourite, is teaming up with women’s great Annika Sorenstam on his project, while Norman has a partnership with retired Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa.

Final presentations were made last month.

Five-time British Open winner Thomson’s company has designed more than 250 projects world-wide while former world No.1 Norman’s group has more than 100 courses either open or in development.

The candidates were invited to Brazil for the announcement on Wednesday but it wasn’t clear if any of them would attend.

The selection committee is composed of Rio 2016 Olympic committee president Carlos Nuzman, International Golf Federation president Peter Dawson and other local representatives.

Initially, the winner was expected to be announced last December, but the deadline for proposals was extended because none of the bidders initially had the proper legal and financial documentation.

The announcement was then set for last month, but the local committee delayed it so the winner could be revealed during the IOC visit.

The course will be built in the Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood, which will hold most of the Olympic venues.

The IOC’s visit will also include a check on some Olympic venues, including the athletes’ park, which will open to the public on Wednesday.