Golf Returns to the Olympics in Rio 2016
Golf Will Be an Olympic Sport For the First Time Since 1904
Oct 14, 2009
Padraig Harrington, Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia, among many other golfers, lauded the return of golf to the Summer Olympics in 2016. At a news conference in Copenhagen, Harrington, a three time major championship victor, declared, "I do believe in time the Olympic gold will become the most important event in golf and I don't believe it will take that long."
Some feel that golf already has enough major international competitions, from the Ryder Cup, the recently concluded President's Cup and for women, the Solheim Cup. USGA Executive Director David Fay responded to the criticism with this statement: 'The Olympics would be the only international event where golfers are competing for themselves, not their team. After all golf is an individual sport.'
Tiger Woods Supports Olympic Bid
Tiger Woods, when previously asked, did not wholeheartedly endorse Olympic participation. He intimated that most golfers would rather win a green jacket for winning the Master's or the Claret Jug for the British Open than an Olympic gold medal. However when the vote on reinstating golf to the games was being held, Woods sent his support by video.
A skeptic in the Woods camp had also previously said that for Woods, it will be just another week of golf he doesn't get paid for.
If Woods chose not to participate in the Olympics, some believe having golf in 2016 would be a wasted experiment.
Why Experts Say Yes to Golf in Olympics
- It will grow the game internationally especially in South America, Asia and Eastern Europe
- Golf will get its' due as a truly athletic sport
- It will increase sponsorship of events
- It will provide a boost to the golf manufacturing sector
- Course designers will get a major boost
Why Experts Say No to Golf in Olympics
- With so few spaces available in the Olympics, the large majority of PGA professionals will not be participating
- The PGA has a responsibility to provide as many opportunities as possible for their tour professionals to make money and a possible two week shut down will not benefit the whole tour
- The possible shut down of the PGA Tour for two or more weeks may affect sponsorship deals as no one will want to sponsor a tournament with no big names in the field
- One more competition adds nothing to the fabric of the game at the international level
Past Olympic Golf History
Golf was an Olympic sport in the 1900 Paris Games and the 1904 St. Louis Games. Women did not compete in 1904, only a men's individual and a men's team event were included. The growth of the game even in those early days was significant - in 1900 only 17 players participated, while that number ballooned to 77 in 1904. George Lyon of Canada won the individual gold medal in 1904. He was prepared to defend his title in the 1908 London Games but the golf event got cancelled at the last minute. That was the end of golf as an Olympic sport until its' recent addition to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Golf in Future Olympics
Rio de Janeiro has only two quality courses, one of them being a par 68. The other course, Itanhanga, is a par 72 and held a stop of the European PGA tour in 2001. Although the exact location of the golf tournament is yet to be determined, it is likely the chosen course will need a significant re-design. Adding golf to the Olympics may provide a challenge in the future as quality, championship golf courses are not found in all countries. Rio will be a good gauge of how a country with limited golf resources adapts and ultimately benefits from the Olympics.
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