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ATL96Steeler
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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World #1, Jason Day has officially withdrawn from the Olympic Games in Rio to be played in a couple of months.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?
World #1, Jason Day has officially withdrawn from the Olympic Games in Rio to be played in a couple of months.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?