• Have something to say? Register Now! and be posting in minutes!

Olympic Golf...Are the players blowing it?

ATL96Steeler

Well-Known Member
24,625
5,266
533
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Location
NE Metro ATL
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Day WDs from Olympics, citing Zika concerns | Golf Channel

World #1, Jason Day has officially withdrawn from the Olympic Games in Rio to be played in a couple of months. He joins a whole host of players including McIlroy, Adam Scott, and many others. Now Jordan Spieth is "uncertain" if he will play.

IMO there's a reason golf has not been competed in the Olympics for over a century, it's not a good sport for the Olympic games. The effort to grow the game globally was a good enough reason to stick it in there, but the game itself, particularly the individual stroke play format.

While the Zika virus is just cause for any athlete to withdraw imo...are the players blowing the opportunity to showcase golf at it's highest level on the world stage? In his presser Day really shed some light on the underlying reason most of the golfers are pulling out imo...to paraphrase..."in our sport careers are defined by majors".

What he's really saying...the Olympics are not important enough to risk it in the same manner it is for other athletes such as swimmers, or track and field.

FWIW...I'm with Day and the golfers pulling out, but at the same time golf participation growth has been fairly stagnant since the Tiger influenced spike. The Olympics would at least put the sport in front a much larger audience, they could be killing the opportunity for future Olympics.

I know I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth on this, but just trying to paint a complete picture.

Thoughts?
 

SoCalWizFan

Well-Known Member
9,150
1,176
173
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I really just don't understand the need to have sports like golf and tennis in the Olympics. It is kind of a slap in the face to the athletes in some other sports where this is there one chance to shine in front of the world. Heck - even basketball is kind of wearing out its welcome in the Olympics.

Honestly - is there one player out there who would trade a gold medal for a major? No way. I would not shed too many tears if this sport is taken out of the Olympics down the road.
 

fknhippie

I'll shit in your shoes.
50,535
16,490
1,033
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Hoopla Cash
$ 2,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I love playing golf and watching a little on TV Sunday afternoon, but I don't think I'd ever tune in to see it as an Olympic event. Too many other sports in the Olympics that I never get to see that and would prefer to watch.
 

ATL96Steeler

Well-Known Member
24,625
5,266
533
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Location
NE Metro ATL
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I really just don't understand the need to have sports like golf and tennis in the Olympics. It is kind of a slap in the face to the athletes in some other sports where this is there one chance to shine in front of the world. Heck - even basketball is kind of wearing out its welcome in the Olympics.

Honestly - is there one player out there who would trade a gold medal for a major? No way. I would not shed too many tears if this sport is taken out of the Olympics down the road.

I have a distorted view of the Olympics in general these days that dovetails with your 1st paragraph, but casting that aside, I agree that golf should not be in the games.

On the flip, I do understand why the golf powers that be made the effort to get in...in terms of participation, golf is a tiny niche game/sport on the world scale. Some countries literally have like 1 golf course if any at all....so to grow the game globally, Olympic exposure makes sense.

That said, I would've kept it at the core of what the Olympics were supposed to be about...amateur athletics...I would've sent amateur golfers.
 

ATL96Steeler

Well-Known Member
24,625
5,266
533
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Location
NE Metro ATL
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I love playing golf and watching a little on TV Sunday afternoon, but I don't think I'd ever tune in to see it as an Olympic event. Too many other sports in the Olympics that I never get to see that and would prefer to watch.

If it were in a team Ryder Cup type format, maybe I would tune in, but golf is on 50 weeks out of the year or something crazy if you want to see it here.

I think it would get more attention from the smaller countries, but still golf is such a small sport of the global scale, they probably won't get the exposure they're seeking anyway.
 

Ricky Roma

The Catch
6,692
1,301
173
Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I'm pretty certain that had Zika not reared its ugly head, most of these guys who pulled out would be in Rio. The timing is extremely unfortunate given that golf is returning for the first time in decades and of all the events, there aren't too many that are played around water and swamp outside where the problems occur.

A few would've said no simply due to the schedule, no doubt about that. To a golfer, the majors/RC remain their pinnacle, and an Olympic Gold is somewhere down that list. Still...to have a medal on your resume in an individual event has to mean something to a lot of players.

In the end, I do agree that the Olympics should be amateurs only.
 

gohusk

Well-Known Member
20,652
4,040
293
Joined
Jul 16, 2013
Hoopla Cash
$ 200.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
This Olympics have disaster written all over it. As far as golf and Tennis goes, I'm pretty sure most players would prefer a major win over a gold. There's just too many other big events to make this really interesting. And golf isn't a sport where you train for a number of years to reach this pinnacle. Just about every other sport at the games have the athletes focusing on this their entire lives.
 

ATL96Steeler

Well-Known Member
24,625
5,266
533
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Location
NE Metro ATL
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
This Olympics have disaster written all over it. As far as golf and Tennis goes, I'm pretty sure most players would prefer a major win over a gold. There's just too many other big events to make this really interesting. And golf isn't a sport where you train for a number of years to reach this pinnacle. Just about every other sport at the games have the athletes focusing on this their entire lives.

I think the golfers that are going just want to be apart of the experience...winning gold is more or less a cherry on top. The women golfers seem to be far more engaged, but it goes without saying that women's golf really could use the exposure a lot more.

With roughly a month to go, Rio is still going full bore on completing venues, etc.

Local police reportedly haven't been paid in several weeks to a month? The contingency plan is military police will be protecting the Olympic venues/village, etc...athlete or spectator, I wouldn't be venturing too far off the Olympic path though.
 

redseat

Well-Known Member
55,916
9,675
533
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Hoopla Cash
$ 943.33
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Don't blame them

Zika, corruption, pollution, city on the brink of going bankrupt... Yeah can't think of any reason why they wouldn't want to go
 

ATL96Steeler

Well-Known Member
24,625
5,266
533
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Location
NE Metro ATL
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Don't blame them

Zika, corruption, pollution, city on the brink of going bankrupt... Yeah can't think of any reason why they wouldn't want to go

No shit. Definitely can't blame them...the only one that really matter are the health issues...wife and
I are traveling to St Croix for Xmas and I've looked into zika down there, but we're out of the baby making biz...sometime ago actually.
 

redseat

Well-Known Member
55,916
9,675
533
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Hoopla Cash
$ 943.33
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
No shit. Definitely can't blame them...the only one that really matter are the health issues...wife and
I are traveling to St Croix for Xmas and I've looked into zika down there, but we're out of the baby making biz...sometime ago actually.

I certainly don't blame em. I wouldn't want to go either.

Still even if you are out of the baby making biz I still wouldn't feel comfortable going
 

ATL96Steeler

Well-Known Member
24,625
5,266
533
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Location
NE Metro ATL
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I certainly don't blame em. I wouldn't want to go either.

Still even if you are out of the baby making biz I still wouldn't feel comfortable going

So far no known reported cases in the USVI...but I'm not too interested in going to Rio.
 

ATL96Steeler

Well-Known Member
24,625
5,266
533
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Location
NE Metro ATL
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I was a few years ago but absolutely not now...

My wife was born in Trinidad and still has family there...but grew up mostly on St. Croix...her older sister went to HS with Tim Duncan actually. I've never been to Trinidad and don't really have much desire yet, but I could easily be persuaded to buy a winter home on the east end of St. Croix. St John, is just stunning, but more expensive and no golf course on St. John.
 

ATL96Steeler

Well-Known Member
24,625
5,266
533
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Location
NE Metro ATL
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Another one bites the dust.

Spieth wrestles with 'hardest decision I’ve ever had to make' | Golf Channel

Jordan has done a 180 on Rio citing health concerns and I think he's begging out of the John Deere that's running concurrently with the Olympics I think.

And he sounded so much like he was excited to go but when the rubber met hit the road, it was a no go.

Oh well...FWIW...Matt Kuchar is the next man up and apparently, he's going...as of today.

I'm on record saying pro golf and the Olympics are not a good match...but they get another shot at it in 2020 in Tokyo I believe....wise up and send amateur golfers, it would mean so much more to the players imo.
 

redseat

Well-Known Member
55,916
9,675
533
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Hoopla Cash
$ 943.33
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Another one bites the dust.

Spieth wrestles with 'hardest decision I’ve ever had to make' | Golf Channel

Jordan has done a 180 on Rio citing health concerns and I think he's begging out of the John Deere that's running concurrently with the Olympics I think.

And he sounded so much like he was excited to go but when the rubber met hit the road, it was a no go.

Oh well...FWIW...Matt Kuchar is the next man up and apparently, he's going...as of today.

I'm on record saying pro golf and the Olympics are not a good match...but they get another shot at it in 2020 in Tokyo I believe....wise up and send amateur golfers, it would mean so much more to the players imo.

web.com tour players only! imo
 

ATL96Steeler

Well-Known Member
24,625
5,266
533
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
Location
NE Metro ATL
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
web.com tour players only! imo

A gold medal would probably mean more to them as well, but those guys are not exactly raking in the cash...taking a week off the tour to play for free...idk I might stay home and play for $.
 

redseat

Well-Known Member
55,916
9,675
533
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Hoopla Cash
$ 943.33
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
A gold medal would probably mean more to them as well, but those guys are not exactly raking in the cash...taking a week off the tour to play for free...idk I might stay home and play for $.

Good point on the money part. I'm just thinking more golfers would go instead of PGA pros. Then again I don't see the need for golf in the Olympics to begin with
 

Used 2 B Hu

Baredevil
111,677
24,237
1,033
Joined
Apr 19, 2013
Location
USA
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,525.18
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Let's try to spin it another way: If a lot of the world's best golfers from the US and Europe aren't going to be there, then there's a greater chance for some players from developing nations to win a medal, which might actually translate into increased interest in those countries.

Can't say I know which countries are actually sending participants, though. As stated, some places just don't even have courses.
 

SoCalWizFan

Well-Known Member
9,150
1,176
173
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
So far no known reported cases in the USVI...but I'm not too interested in going to Rio.

This might be especially true for these elite golfers. As it is they get to travel all over the world for tourneys. Beyond that they are filthy rich & can pretty much go wherever they like via private jet. Many of these guys also get to play in the Ryder Cup later in the year as well as the remaining majors. Most of them are also young & still have several more shots at the Olympics.
 
Top