2016 Olympic Golf: Bigger, Smaller, or the Same as a Major?

[Outfoxed]

Love it!!!

[kafka01]

Timing will sure be an issue, though. The Olympics typically take place at the same time as the PGA Championship.

As Tim Finchem yesterday said in an interview - they will reschedule any major event in golf to make time available to the pros to play in the olympics. They thought about and figured it out long before the bid actually was sucessful.

[laconic517]

Yeah I guess it bugs me because I'm old enough to remember watching the Olympics when it was mostly amateurs. Pro's really intered the Olympics with the Dream team.

thats not true at all. The US was dominating for the most part with college players. The soviet union started sending professionals and thats kind of where the idea came from.

I will say top 60 ranked in the world is dumb to me because you could have half the field be americans or 1/4 or whatever. Really should limit selections of countries to like 2-3. So 2-3 golfers per country with 20-30 countries playing.

[Cussin hacker]

thats not true at all. The US was dominating for the most part with college players. The soviet union started sending professionals and thats kind of where the idea came from.

The Soviets did not have pro players as we know them at that time. What they did have were leaders who could pump tons of money at the players for training, living expences, housing etc. to produce winners. The athletes were basicly owned by the state. We sent the dream team to combat that.

Like I said I'm just not a fan of Pro golfers going to the Oly's. It would be better for golf as a whole if it were 2 or 3 amateurs from each country.

[scratchgolfer]

Top 60 in the world? There goes my chance...

[jshots]

I think representing your country in the Olympics and winning an Olympic gold medal would be more prestigious than a major win.

Also, do you think they will have playoffs for silver and bronze medals. In a regular tourney a tie for 3rd is fine, but when a medal is on the line they will probably have to have playoffs until there is a distinct silver and bronze winner.

What do you think?

If you weren't aware of golf being in the 2016 Olympics, consider yourself told.

[camper6]

Golf will be featured at the 2016 Olympics after a long absence.

Excerpt:

As many as 15 groups and individuals have expressed an interest in designing the golf course including some legendary names associated with the sport - Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam, Greg Norman and Lorena Ochoa, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Nick Faldo.

Canada is the defending champion in Olympic golf with George S. Lyon of Toronto winning the gold medal the last time the sport was contested at the 1904 Games in St. Louis.

[1par2win]

Originally Posted by camper6

Golf will be featured at the 2016 Olympics after a long absence.

Excerpt:

As many as 15 groups and individuals have expressed an interest in designing the golf course including some legendary names associated with the sport - Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam, Greg Norman and Lorena Ochoa, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Nick Faldo.

Canada is the defending champion in Olympic golf with George S. Lyon of Toronto winning the gold medal the last time the sport was contested at the 1904 Games in St. Louis.

I'm not exactly going to be carrying a sign and protesting but golf in the Olympics isn't something I'm all that interested in. I mean, this whole thing smells more like a financial deal than a competion. I suspect all the names above are in this to promote their course design buisness which is fine but I do not think they are doing this "for the good of the game". Besides winning a gold medal is fine and all but would any of the players listed above trade one of their major titles for a gold medal? Maybe they would but I doubt it.

[DoGolf Rob]

Originally Posted by msd3075

What they should do is have some sort of a team event instead of a 72-hole individual stroke play event. Maybe have a 2-man team from each country playing a match play tournament.

That is a very good idea. Why not try and build in some national pride into the competition. The average olympic fan will be more likely to root for a national team than an individual.