Olympic Golf...Are the players blowing it?

[ATL96Steeler]

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

Maybe.

The top amateurs in the world typically walk right on the web.com tour and gain status in a yr or so and the very top (Tiger, DeChambeau, Spieth, Phil, Sergio, etc.) get enough sponsors exemptions on the PGAT and Euro Tours and earn a card that way.

My point here is the quality of play shouldn't fall off much (especially from the web.com tour) and these guys are not already playing for $ so they would be the best players to send imo.

I'm with you on the last point, yes, and no...I do understand why the international federation of golf pushed to get golf back in...US, Europe, Australia, have basically dominated golf since forever really. S. Korea got one girl on the LPGAT and she won a couple events and look what spun off...damn near the entire tour is Korean or Asian decent now and they have a lot more that will never make any tour that play golf as a recreation like us.

So exposing golf to India, So. America, China, Africa (aside from So. Africa) other parts of the world can only help the game grow....I just think sending pros was a mistake.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

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.

Good point.

There's a really good player from India, name escapes me, plays the Euro tour...if a guy like that won...people forget India has a billion people too.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Good point.

There's a really good player from India, name escapes me, plays the Euro tour...if a guy like that won...people forget India has a billion people too.

It's a wonder it hasn't already took off there thanks to the British influence. I mean, they took to Cricket fanatically. I'm guessing it's more of a space issue with golf

 

[ATL96Steeler]

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.

I think if all of the negative circumstances weren't in play, I think the vast majority of the guys that bailed would've played for the sake of being inside the ropes so to speak, for growing golf more than the medal....but at the end of the day, there's just too much negativity for something that's really not on the golf landscape.

IMO...they will get Tokyo and that will probably be it for awhile.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

It's a wonder it hasn't already took off there thanks to the British influence. I mean, they took to Cricket fanatically. I'm guessing it's more of a space issue with golf

My brother in law has an IT firm and hired a few programmers from Mumbai...so he goes over there for training a couple of times a year and he said there is more countryside than you might imagine, but in the urban areas, it's packed...plus most of the population really can't afford golf, but it's growing among those that can.

 

[Eugene Baker III]

Kidnapping is a sport in Brazil

Why would a wealthy person go there?

Bernie Ecclestone's mother-in-law 'kidnapped' in Brazil

 

[SoCalWizFan]

Stenson focused on golf gold

According to an article a few days ago from ESPN Olympic golf is probably missing the greatest player of all time. Here is the excerpt:

Stenson is the highest-ranked player in the field because No. 1 Jason Day, No. 2 Dustin Johnson, No. 3 Jordan Spieth and No. 4 Jason Day all elected to withdraw from the Olympic tournament.

Has any other player ever been taken up two spots in the top 5 of the rankings?

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Stenson focused on golf gold

According to an article a few days ago from ESPN Olympic golf is probably missing the greatest player of all time. Here is the excerpt:

Stenson is the highest-ranked player in the field because No. 1 Jason Day, No. 2 Dustin Johnson, No. 3 Jordan Spieth and No. 4 Jason Day all elected to withdraw from the Olympic tournament.

Has any other player ever been taken up two spots in the top 5 of the rankings?

60 players...no cut.

The golf course looks outstanding to be a new track. Bit of water, Some holes have a links feel, others have a parkland feel.

Marcus Fraser...Aussie is leading @ -8...windy afternoon so this will probably hold up...No Americans on the 1st pg.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

60 players...no cut.

The golf course looks outstanding to be a new track. Bit of water, Some holes have a links feel, others have a parkland feel.

Marcus Fraser...Aussie is leading @ -8...windy afternoon so this will probably hold up...No Americans on the 1st pg.

Maybe Ricky Fowler has been having too much fun hanging around the other Olympic athletes. He is 2nd from the bottom at this time.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Maybe Ricky Fowler has been having too much fun hanging around the other Olympic athletes. He is 2nd from the bottom at this time.

I'm sure of it...he passed on the Travelers to be at the opening and I'm sure he had his share of fun...Rio? many, many hot babes...I don't blame him actually...it would be nice to medal, but the experience is probably something he will enjoy for quite some time.

That said, no cut, so not a lot of pressure. He just needs to come out and post a decent round tomorrow...if he's in the + numbers again tomorrow...we know he's just there for the festivities!

 

[Montalban]

Has anyone noticed that Stenson is hitting a driver in Rio? Haven't seen him hit a driver in years.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

I take back some of my initial takes on golf in the Olympics. IMO this was one of the more fun tourneys to watch & the players (especially Rose & Kuchar) took this as seriously as any other big tourney. Kuchar's charge on Sun & the drama between Stenson & Rose on the last hole rivaled most things we have seen on tour this year.

IMO the only negative was the behavior of the crowd in regards to taking photos. However - that is understandable given the fact that this type of thing is new to Brazil (& you also have your typical "Get in the Hole", "Baba Boey" morons who travel & show up at every tourney).

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I take back some of my initial takes on golf in the Olympics. IMO this was one of the more fun tourneys to watch & the players (especially Rose & Kuchar) took this as seriously as any other big tourney. Kuchar's charge on Sun & the drama between Stenson & Rose on the last hole rivaled most things we have seen on tour this year.

IMO the only negative was the behavior of the crowd in regards to taking photos. However - that is understandable given the fact that this type of thing is new to Brazil (& you also have your typical "Get in the Hole", "Baba Boey" morons who travel & show up at every tourney).

I still think it should be amateurs, but you could tell it meant something to the players...seeing Fraser grasping for anything that would keep him afloat was a little tough...It would have been nice to see him take home a medal and Day, and Adam Scott have to see him get all the acolades...at the same time...Kuch, like you said...he was gunning to get on the podium and represent.

That point in bold has gotten so old...lame....why is that fun I wonder? To hear yourself on TV?

 

[SoCalWizFan]

I still think it should be amateurs, but you could tell it meant something to the players...seeing Fraser grasping for anything that would keep him afloat was a little tough...It would have been nice to see him take home a medal and Day, and Adam Scott have to see him get all the acolades...at the same time...Kuch, like you said...he was gunning to get on the podium and represent.

That point in bold has gotten so old...lame....why is that fun I wonder? To hear yourself on TV?

Respectfully disagree. I want to see the pros & am very sure that there will be a lot more of them in 2020 in Japan. No doubt Spieth, Day & several others will show up next time (Rory can stay home - getting kind of tired of his act). Personally - I would get tired of the no name amateurs playing this tourney. I was kind of growing a little tired of some of the lesser known players this time around.

As for hecklers, yellers, etc - agree & I have no doubt that this primarily consists of drunks and/or loudmouths who want to have folks hear this on TV or have a story to tell their buddies. Lame is right. I also got a kick out of the girl yesterday who picked up Rose's ball after his tee shot & was caught on TV. I will give her the benefit of the doubt & assume that she didn't know any better.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Respectfully disagree. I want to see the pros & am very sure that there will be a lot more of them in 2020 in Japan. No doubt Spieth, Day & several others will show up next time (Rory can stay home - getting kind of tired of his act). Personally - I would get tired of the no name amateurs playing this tourney. I was kind of growing a little tired of some of the lesser known players this time around.

As for hecklers, yellers, etc - agree & I have no doubt that this primarily consists of drunks and/or loudmouths who want to have folks hear this on TV or have a story to tell their buddies. Lame is right. I also got a kick out of the girl yesterday who picked up Rose's ball after his tee shot & was caught on TV. I will give her the benefit of the doubt & assume that she didn't know any better.

I'm probably in the minority there. I do agree that more of the top pros will be in Japan in 2020 as the circumstances that kept most of the guys home probably won't exist in Japan. I see it being one of the things a pro wants to experience...once....we'll have to see if the top 3 all qualify again and go to Japan.

The obvious good for having pros play was for TV ratings. Most of the locals at the gate probably didn't know who they were but just were having fun watching the golf. Clearly, having Rose and Stenson in contention on Sunday helped NBC/Golfchannel.

I'm still of the opinion that golf is not an Olympic sport...maybe it's the time span that it hasn't been played there...maybe it was the format. Even though I admittedly watched and liked it, I could've done without it...The John Deere would've suited me, but I'm a golfhead...lol.

 

[Ricky Roma]

Overall, I thought the Olympic format worked well, but hopefully, Tokyo in 4 years brings all the big time players. The TV commentary was absolutely crap...from spewing wrong stats to mistakenly calling missed putts as sunk....just about the worst I've ever heard. The course looked pretty nice too, but I really haven't heard any player commentary on it, so I don't know how they generally felt about the track.

The hecklers/drunkards screamfest after every tee shot is indeed, lame and tiring. It never was funny from the get-go.....it seems like it's an American thing as I don't recall too much of that nonsense at the British Open.