The Olympics

Can I ask what everyones thoughts are on golf in the Olympics?

Should it be just amateurs that play or should the professionals be allowed a shot at winning a gold medal too?

I personally feel that it should be amateur only.

I don't think golf should be in the Olympics at all. Just doesn't seem to fit to me

19th Hole wrote:Can I ask what everyones thoughts are on golf in the Olympics?

Should it be just amateurs that play or should the professionals be allowed a shot at winning a gold medal too?

I personally feel that it should be amateur only.

A fair few of the Olympic sports are now competed by Pros so I would say let 'em all have a go pros and amateurs.

Agree with Davie.

But, if Golf MUST be in the Olympics, there's no commercial point in having it without the pros.
Sad to say that commercial interests and Olympic greed will always trump the Olympic ethos (not sure that's the right word!).

They haven't even selected a designer for the course yet . . . . .

How long before Cricket is in the Olympics?

They should have a weight limit on the players. You simply can't have a Shane Lowry or Darren Clarke winning a medal with the same value as a proper athlete such as Usain Bolt, Chris Hoy or Jess Ennis.

Maybe weight divisions s-r? Like boxing?

Something like that, only don't lete the pie-munchers play.

Don't really see how their going to fit golf into the Olympics! Are they having as a strokeplay event or Matchplay so that it works in the same knockout format as the tennis!

To be honest the Olympics has lost a lot of appeal to me over the years the only events I can stand now are Boxing, Basketball, and the beach volleyball.
So maybe golf can rekindle that interest. Winter Olympics is far more my thing personally.

Sure I read somewhere there down to a final few on course designers and a few names left in the hat were: Sorenstam, a nicklaus/norman collaboration, trent jones jr and macs man sausage mate Doak

Cant wait for golf at the Olympics, just like tennis im sure it will become a huge success in time.

Diggers wrote:Cant wait for golf at the Olympics, just like tennis im sure it will become a huge success in time.

Fishing, Croquet and Tiddlywinks next.

super_realist wrote:

Diggers wrote:Cant wait for golf at the Olympics, just like tennis im sure it will become a huge success in time.

Fishing, Croquet and Tiddlywinks next.

Bring it on.

The Olympics is turning into a bit of a joke for me, as it's as kwini says all about cash generation. The Olympic ethos was founded upon amatuer status, but is getting stupid with pro footballers, pro tennis etc. Athletic prowess was the name of the game, but beach volleyball ........ Probably the only highlight letching at scantily undressed babes cavorting about, and even they're not allowed to participate if they wear normal shorts, because they must show their arses

What's wrong with that Doc, a man needs something to make the Olympics worth watching!

AM I right in thinking that golf has been part of the Olympics many years ago?

Nursing to be introduced next, Mav.

I love the Olympics, but then Im a massive athletics fan which is often the highlight. I hope everyone enjoys next year and can get over all the whining about cost etc. Ive got tickets for the mens 200 final so hoping for a classic.
Re the golf at the Olympics, maybe it will be watched by some people who never watch golf normally and that will bring them to the game. Then again Im never that sure that golfers really want a lot more people playing the game.

Maverick wrote:What's wrong with that Doc, a man needs something to make the Olympics worth watching!

I did say "probably the only highlight" ....

Digs,
I used to absolutely love the Olympics, even gave up a job so that I could watch the 1972 Games (and the racing from Ayr).

But don't ever watch them on TV in the States unless you're close enough to the Canadian border to receive a CBC or CTV feed. Almost everything from NBC on tape delay, commercials by the boatload, and jingoism enough to make Coleman have sounded like a young apprentice.

The Canadians do a very professional job, in contrast. Very objective and provide live feeds whenever possible.

Kwini I was on my honeymoon in the States for the whole of the last Olympics. Completely agree, though was in a bar in San Diego as Becky Adlington came in for her second gold, that was a good night.
Anyway this is one of those occasions when I am thankful for the good old BBC. No ads to worry about.

19th Hole wrote:Can I ask what everyones thoughts are on golf in the Olympics?

Should it be just amateurs that play or should the professionals be allowed a shot at winning a gold medal too?

I personally feel that it should be amateur only.

You don't actually believe for one moment those pampered, overpaid professional golfers would actually play in any event for nowt, do you?

Does anyone know if the qualifying procedure has yet been decided? Specifically, I'm wondering if there will be a limit on the number of players any one country can put forward.

My view has swayed one way or the other, but on balance, I think it's good for growing the popularity of the game globally. Although I'm sure I will go exactly the opposite way if it turns out that I can't secure a tee off time and/or rounds take 5 hours due to overcrowding...!

I think they've missed a trick in the format though - 4 round stroke play is a bit uninspiring for what is meant to be a special event.

From the perspective of the Olympics (but not necessarily everyone else), it will probably be good if a superstar [or is it superstar pair/team?] wins the first event, and then makes a big thing about it for years hence as opposed to throwing the gold medal into the trophy cabinet and forgetting about it.

Perhaps I'm being overly cynical about this but isn't the real reason 'the game' (and I'm particularly referring to the amateur bodies here) wanted into the Olympics is in order to apply for copious amounts of wonga to fund them?

I love the Olympics, though mainly for the Athletics, but the runners/jumpers/throwers etc are mainly all professionals now anyway, so should be no restrictions on professional or Amateur.

Golf was in the Olympics in 1900 & 1904, so has been around longer the The Masters.

I think it should be matchplay in pairs with a straight draw, like the FA cup.

19th

Yes golf was in the olympics in the early 20th century. The guy who redesigned pebble beach, chandler egan, won a medal.

Dont see how it fits into the schedule never mind anything else. They will be hosted between the 5th and 21st of August in 2016.

This year that stretch of dates contained the following in the golfing calendar;

a wgc
the pga championship
(nearly) the fist fedex play off, the barclays
and crucial events for those wanting to get into or do well in the play offs


So where does one of them get shunted to in order to make way for the olympics?

Or will the Olympics run parallel to one of them?

beninho,
Also like the matchplay idea but doubt if they'll ever go with it as the field would have to limited to probably 64. Ironically, the men's and women's field in 2016 will be limited to 60 players respectively. This seems ludicrous for a stroke play event where the supposed intent for the Olympic Games is to promote participation and goodwill above all. They could have easily have had 124 competitors in the field. Who cares if half don't have a chance, that's the norm for every golf tournament.

Mac,
Wouldn't mind if the FedEx fell off the face of the earth forever. Has completely destroyed any continuity the PGA Tour golf season ever had. Pro golf is slowly turning the tournaments into a "main event or else" sport.

Mac,

I think most of the big boys would avoid the regular season events if it comes to it to take part in the Olympics. Woods and Westwood, for example, would be entering their 40s and probably wouldn't have a great shot at Olympic glory if they didn't go to Brazil. Olympics every 4 years, WGC every 3 months.

However I think there are plans to limit the number of entrants from any particular country. I think it might also be based somehow on OWGR, maybe similar to how participants are chosen from the golf World Cup.

Grumps,
Could be a heated rivalry for Team UK in a Ryder Cup year - presumably no Captain's Choices!

If this does become an amateur only event, could pros actually sue the Olympics citing tennis as an example of discrimination?

19th Hole wrote:If this does become an amateur only event, could pros actually sue the Olympics citing tennis as an example of discrimination?

I doubt it, the boxers are amateurs so there is a precedent in place there already in not allowing professionals.

Kwini, not wrong there, team UK will have some big choices to make. Maybe Rory will end all the nonsense about Irish / British by declaring for whomever will put him on their team.

Without cheating............can any of the above posters name the Olympic tennis champion?
I think golf at the Olympics will be a total non event

I am of the opinion that the Olympics should be the pinnicle of your sport. Obviously in golf this will not be the case. Particularly as I think that there is talk of only allowing two players per country which is you used todays top 50 rankings would mean that 30 players wouldn't be playing. (Although I may be wrong with this.)

Right or wrong about who plays I think that sports like tennis, football and golf where there are either majors or World Cups that are bigger shouldn't be in there. I follow tennis a reasonable amount but was pretty surprised to see that Henman won a silver. I knew however that he never made a GS final.

I guess it all comes down to money. Where is squash for instance? Why when the IOC wanted to have equal events for men and women did they pull some mens events rather than just match them?

I have no problem with the amateur/professional mix. This is the real world and professionalism opens up sport to everyone, not just those who can afford it. (Most of the time.)

The only name that comes into my head is Federer. But I don't think it's him!

Doon the Water wrote:Without cheating............can any of the above posters name the Olympic tennis champion?
I think golf at the Olympics will be a total non event

To be fair Doon, if you don't really follow the sport you probably won't know it. It's a bit like asking who are the handball champions. My guess is that the Olympic champion is someone you wouldn't automatically think of, I'm going for Mardi Fish

I'm sure it was Nadal

I don't think golf should be an Olympic sport though, i also on a side note do not think football or tennis should be either

"Olympics every 4 years, WGC every 3 months"

Yeah but surely winning a WGC will still have a lot more prestige if the olympic field is no that of a major?

Does anyone actually know how and why golf was submitted into the olympic schedule?



Venice,

You may not like the fedex but it is hard to see it come second to the olympics.

McLaren wrote:"Olympics every 4 years, WGC every 3 months"

Yeah but surely winning a WGC will still have a lot more prestige if the olympic field is no that of a major?

Prestige also comes from a limited window in which to win one. Opportunities to be Olympic champion will be like rocking horse Poopie for some players and that's why I think they would miss a WGC if they had to.

I think the media, in the US at any rate, will make a point of bigging up golf to the max when the time comes.
The Tours were allegedly behind the idea and they'll look clowns if top players miss it, so there'll be a three line whip (do you still have them?) to ensure there's no excuse to miss it.
As the 2016 Olympics are in Brazil, they'll be able to show the golf, presumably on the Golf Channel/NBC, in prime-ish time, and it will be a big deal here at least. If they build a course on time.

Grumpy.. I think it was Nadal but the point I was trying to make was do you think that golfers would remember who the Olympic champion was. Golf will have very low coverage and you would probably have to buy a Telegraph to see who won.

Grumpy

If the world cup of golf in its current form and with the same field was played every 4 years would it have any more kudos?


I do wonder if being a golfer you would feel out of place walking around the olympic village?


If winning the olympic golf gold did not come with exception to the majors what would that say?

Mac,

The world cup is an optional event for the players during silly season. It's not supported fully by the tour's or the players hence the sponsor stepping down.

I don't see how being a golfer in the Olympic village would be any different. Nadal relished the time he spent there at the last Olymipcs.

Why should Olympic gold come with an exemption to the majors, that would be down to the tournament organisers anyway.

Grumpy, I think Mac was alluding to Golfers generally being ordinary blokes and might be rather embarassed to be in the presence of proper athletic and honed individuals.

McLaren wrote:
Dont see how it fits into the schedule never mind anything else. They will be hosted between the 5th and 21st of August in 2016.

This year that stretch of dates contained the following in the golfing calendar;

a wgc
the pga championship
(nearly) the fist fedex play off, the barclays
and crucial events for those wanting to get into or do well in the play offs


So where does one of them get shunted to in order to make way for the olympics?

Or will the Olympics run parallel to one of them?

A guarantee was given that "no major championship conflicts or competes with the Olympic golf competition, and that the sports best athletes would be available to participate in the Olympic Games".
http://www.internationalgolffederation.org/press/2008/ioc_questionnaire.html

If it been accepted for the 2008 olympics there would only have been 50 men and 50 women playing and I did wonder if they would have had pre-qualifiers as they did state that eligibility was "subject to a pre-determined maximum number of players from each continent "
http://www.internationalgolffederation.org/Press/golf_games.html

The USA should have had golf at Atlants in 1996 but due to "petty politics" it was cancelled.
http://www.pgatour.com/2009/r/10/07/awtrey.column/index.html

I wouldn't be surprised if a similar excuse is used in 2016 if their is no progree on a suitable golf course.

McLaren wrote:Venice,
You may not like the fedex but it is hard to see it come second to the olympics.

I agree. The monetary incentive alone puts the FedEx in front. Unless the golfer's individual sponsors can 'show them the money' for taking a short jaunt down to Rio. Also think kwini is spot on with his "three line whip" statement. A possible added incentive for Olympic participation are the stories of the incredible amount of co-mingling between the athletes while on their 'leisure time' at the Village. Have heard some first hand accounts that would rival many of the Olympic competitions.

My dislike of the FedEx series is a belief that it can be implemented in a much more cohesive and complimentary manner with the regular Tour stops. Am also in favor of limiting the amount of 'Big Time' tourneys to the Majors and a couple of others. I may be in the minority but I love the regular Tour stops on both the ET and PGA as much as the any tournament. But who's going to argue with the corporations' will? Certainly not Mr. Finchem or most others.

Sports such as golf, football, basketball, & tennis have no place in the olympics.

Marcus wrote:Sports such as golf, football, basketball, & tennis have no place in the olympics.

Nor Softball/Baseball or BMX Bikes either.

Must admit - I don't think that Golf should be in the Olympics. It just doesn't feel right somehow.

I believe it was requested by the Golf associations as it's hoped that it will bring in more new people into the game