The US Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) has assigned two agents to protect the country's seven golfers at the Paris Olympics.

US DSS agent Dan Bair and his agency colleague Amanda Salazar were assigned to protect the home golf team, according to a two-year preparation plan. Bair is in charge of the men's team, while Salazar is in charge of the women's team. When working, both of these veteran security experts are supported by the security force of the host country France.

The US golf team in Paris 2024 has four men and three women and is considered the strongest when there are four faces occupying the top two positions in the world. They are No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 2  Xander Schauffele for the men, and No. 1 Nelly Korda and No. 2 Lilia Vu for the women. Schauffele and Korda entered the competition on the Albatross course at Le Golf National as defending champions.

DSS Special Agent Dan Bair (in sunglasses) meets with Santiago 2023 organizers and Chilean security officials at the National Stadium to prepare for the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, June 8, 2023. (U.S. Department of State photo)

Bair hopes Schauffele will defend the title, a belief shared by Salazar in Korda.

Bair spent nine years at the DSS, a unit of the US State Department, investigating transnational crimes, monitoring the security situation in Somalia and protecting politicians at international summits. Before that, Bair was in the US Army, often flying Black Hawk attack helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Salazar, meanwhile, started her career with a bachelor's degree in hospitality management but then moved into government agencies and finally ended up at the US State Department, where she has been for 11 years. "I think that winning multiple medals in multiple Games is just sort of like the tip of the hat and really sort of solidifying your place as one of the best in the world," she said.

The US DSS has put the right people in the right jobs more than usual when choosing Bair and Salazar.

Bair also enjoys golf and is currently quite good, with a handicap of 13.8. At 40, he often jokes with his wife that his regular golfing is to hone his skills and gain experience for his plan to compete on the PGA Tour Champions - a professional tournament system for those 50 years of age and older.

On the day he left for his mission in Paris 2024, Bair also took the opportunity to play nine holes. During his time working, he also hopes to learn from experience: "Maybe seeing these guys in person, I'll learn at least one little training aid or something that I can take back with me to get (my handicap) even lower."

Salazar also enjoys golf, having volunteered at an LPGA Tour tournament for two years. After her mission at the Olympics, she will play golf in Islamabad, Pakistan after hearing there are some interesting courses.

DSS Special Agent Amanda Salazar in front of Air Force 2, supporting the U.S. Delegation to the 2022 APEC Leader’s Summit in Bangkok, Thailand. Nov. 20, 2022, (Photo courtesy Amanda Salazar)

The 2024 Olympic golf competition will feature men's and women's singles, both in stroke play over four rounds, at the par-71 Albatross course on the outskirts of Paris. The men's event ended on August 4 with a gold medal for Scottie Scheffler of the United States with a score of -19, silver for Tommy Fleetwood (England) -18, bronze for Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) -17.

That result probably made Agent Bair less sad when he saw his expectation - Schauffele finished T9 (-12). Agent Salazar continued to wait for the result from "Korda's trust" because the women's singles event will start on August 7.