CONGRATULATIONS, GOLF WORLD
After sending out all the big guns: Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Michelle Wie, and Padraig Harrington amongst others, the International Olympic Committee has decided that yes, golf will be included in the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.
This is the first time that golf has been included in the Olympics since 1904, when a Canadian by the name of George Lyon took home the Gold.
But, the IOC has a long way to go before they’re ready to have to golf in the Olympics once again.
Tiger in the Olympic mood (Courtesy: www.golf.com)
For one, the Olympic schedule (Aug 5-21) interferes with the scheduling of the PGA Championship and start of the Fed-Ex Cup playoffs, so something will have to be done there by the PGA Tour, assumingly, first and foremost.
At a press conference at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, site of this week’s President’s Cup, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said, “we know there are going to be some scheduling challenges […] and we know that going in and we have all agreed to fix it.”
As of now, the current format calls for an individual 72-hole stroke play event for both men and women. There will be 60 players competing in each event, with the top 15 players in the Official World Golf Ranking at the to-be-determined date will be eligible, regardless of which country said players are from.
Beyond the top 15 though, players would be eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15.
Confused? Don’t be. The only thing that remains to be seen is who will be ranked at the top of that list seven years from now.
Tiger will be 40 years old by then and, for all intents and purposes, will still be chasing after major championships, if only to pad his lead over Jack Nicklaus as having won the most majors ever.
Arguably the greatest Canadian golfer of all time Mike Weir will be 46, and most likely on the cusp of retirement, rather than ready to challenge for an Olympic medal. Our chance for, well, a “repeat” gold medal will rest firmly on the young shoulders of Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. and Matt Hill who, coincidently enough, is from Weir’s hometown of Bright’s Grove, Ontario.
The problem with the format is that it sounds like a normal PGA or LPGA tournament, so where is the excitement that usually accompanies an Olympic event? The perspective of the North Americans or Europeans may be that an Olympic medal will fall short of their desired golf accomplishments behind winning any of the four majors, but two of the PGA Tour’s most active members on Twitter seem to disagree.
Stewart Cink said, “I'll be 43. What's the record for oldest gold medal winner?” and Ian Poulter said, “Give me a chance to play for a gold medal for my country & I will sweat blood & tears to win it, I will a ripe age of 40 and ready for it.”
Clearly the elite players of today are excited to be a part of the Olympics, but they may not even be in top form come 2016. There is no doubt that it will do wonders with regards to the globalization of the game, and for the development of more world-class golfers.
In an interview with Bob Harig from ESPN, John Strawn, president of the design firm Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates and former CEO Robert Trent Jones II design said “the real impact here is that governments in China and India will now spend significant funds on the development of golfers, just as they spend on the development of gymnasts and field hockey players.”
Over time this globalization will for sure increase the number of top golfers in places that never had these opportunities before. When being only short-sited, the proposed event sounds like nothing more than a glorified World Golf Championship.
But, the scheduling and the format and not to mention the venue (currently only one “good” golf course in Rio) are all things that can get sorted out in the next seven years. For now, congratulations Golf World, you did it.
