TEEING OFF: Jimmy Emanuel
Golf in the modern Olympic Games has been a much discussed topic, with little sign of finding a middle ground between those who believe it doesn’t belong at all and those supporting its inclusion.
Numerous of the best male players in the game have chosen to skip this year’s Olympics in Tokyo, the majority eluding to travel concerns during the COVID pandemic, while others have referred to the busy schedule of the PGA Tour.
The best women are not following suit, and their field in Tokyo will be outstanding.
Before the return of golf to the Games in Rio, I was definitely in the camp that questioned the validity of golf’s place. However, having spoken with players and caddies from 2016, and to Ian Baker-Finch and Hannah Green for this issue, I have come full circle.
To hear the passion in Baker-Finch’s voice as he talks about his role as captain of the team is inspiring. Green has made serious sacrifices to ensure she is at her best as she attempts to win a medal.
Marc Leishman, Cam Smith and Minjee Lee will partner Green in Tokyo and personally, I will be watching closely as they tee it up at the Games.
The argument from the naysayers has always been that golf doesn’t have a history of Olympic competition, and the majors are the game’s biggest titles not a gold medal, meaning players have never harboured Olympic dreams.
But Green puts it perfectly when saying a gold medal would not just be a golf accolade, but a wider sports achievement. Baker-Finch speaks of Todd Woodbridge who won more than 20 Grand Slam tennis titles, but when he visits schools, kids only want to see his gold medal.
Given the extended period since the last Games, and the world we have lived in over the past 18 months, it is easy to forget how big the Olympics is as an event. Put simply, the Olympics transcends sport and a gold medal is perhaps the most recognised sporting achievement in the world.
A gold medal for one of our Aussie golfers would be some of the best publicity the game has received for years.
And while Adam Scott and Jason Day might not have grown up dreaming of playing Olympic golf, it appears Hannah Green has spent some time thinking about it. And if she and her fellow Olympians can win a medal you can be sure there will be huge numbers of the next generation who do too.
That makes the game’s inclusion in the Games only a good thing for golf.