Golfers bursting with anticipation after clouds clear

A shadow of disappointment moved in over the men’s golf competition in the Summer Games following the withdrawals of world No. 1 Jon Rahm of Spain and No. 6 Bryson DeChambeau of the U. S. after the past two winners of the U. S. Open tested positive for COVID- 19.

Then word came Monday in Japan that a typhoon – more akin to a tropical storm in the U. S. – was barreling toward Tokyo and its surrounding regions.

Both storms, however, have been weathered as the typhoon fizzled and a simmering buzz took hold amid the silence at the East Course at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, about 35 miles northwest of downtown Tokyo.

There’s gold, silver and bronze to be found in the Musashino Hills, after all.

“The end goal is to win gold,” reigning British Open champion and world No. 3 Collin Morikawa said Tuesday. “But what the Olympics represents is a lot of memories, representing your country, getting to wear a USA on your shirt, pants, hat, everything.

“It’s one of the biggest honors and it really means a lot, because we play such an individual sport we’re so focused in on ourselves that we’re put on a bigger stage, and we don’t get to do this too often. And when you do, you want to represent your country as best you can.”

The first round begins Thursday ( 6: 30 p. m. ET Wednesday in the U. S.).

Kasumigaseki Country Club, a private course founded in 1929, has hosted several professional and amateur tournaments, including two World Cups.

In 2010, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama won the Asian Amateur at Kasumigaseki to qualify for the 2011 Masters, where he was the low amateur.

The East Course was redesigned in 2016 by Tom and Logan Fazio. It measures 7,466 from the back tees with a par of 71.

It is one of 3,140 courses in Japan, the most of any country except the U. S.

The layout winds through rows of pine and cypress trees and features bent grass greens, which are on the soft side after about an inch of rain fell Tuesday. Large, deep bunkers that frame the greens and tight fairways – about 25- 30 yards in width – are to be avoided. Wise to stay out of the rough, too.

“Golf course is fantastic,” Morikawa said. “Conditions are amazing. Rough is up. Fairway bunkers are perfectly placed, at least for me to hit them right in it, and then the greens are just spectacular. The greens are as pure as they’re going to get.

“It’s going to be softer than probably what we would hope for, but I think it still puts up a good test. It’s going to put a really good test of making sure you’re hitting it really well off the tee and then seeing what kind of up- and- downs you can make.

“I think you can get some pretty tough lies out here for the week, and if you’re able to save a few pars for the week you’ll be doing pretty good.”