Olympic golf ’s big miss
No-shows take luster off global showcase for sport
One concern after another started piling up a few months back, each providing a nail in the coffin that is men’s golf in the Rio Summer Olympics.
Zika virus. Political unrest in Brazil. Security concerns in Rio.
There’s also a crammed schedule that includes two major championships, a World Golf Championship event, the RBC Canadian Open and the Olympics in nine weeks. And one week after the Rio tournament, the FedExCup begins and players start chasing a $10 million grand prize.
The Olympic format is 72 holes of individual play instead of team play. There are travel and lost family time. Even the caddies’ stipend insulted some players.
So one player after another pulled out of the Games, where golf was going to make its triumphant return in August after a 112-year absence.
Who can really blame them? Especially when they see images of unpaid police officers holding up a sign that says “Welcome to Hell” at Rio’s international airport.
World No. 8 Adam Scott was
the first prominent player to pull out, saying the men’s tournament was an exhibition and his focus was on the four major championships.
Jordan Spieth on Monday became the most recent prominent player to withdraw. Spieth, who cited Zika and safety concerns two weeks ago when he was asked for an update on his Olympics status, was on the course preparing for Thursday’s start of the 145th British Open at Royal Troon when the International Golf Federation made the announcement. Spieth will address the media Tuesday.
Thus, none of the Fab Four is playing in the Olympics — No. 1 Jason Day, No. 2 Dustin Johnson, No. 3 Spieth, No. 4 Rory McIlroy. All are out.
In all, 18 players opted to skip the Olympics.
“It’s certainly disappointing that we’ve had so many withdrawals on the men’s side and wonderful that all of the women have been very supportive,” IGF President Peter Dawson said Monday. “I think I should say now that I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to discuss individual cases, especially as they’re generally decisions (that) have been taken on health grounds. Speaking collectively, though, there is no doubt that the number of withdrawals hasn’t shed golf in the best light, and we have to accept that.
“Personally, I think there’s been something of an overreaction to the Zika situation, but that’s for individuals to determine, and there’s certainly a great deal of concern about this issue inside the game of golf, no doubt about that.”
Later, with a smile, Dawson added, “I take great heart from the fact we haven’t lost a greenskeeper (in Rio) yet, and it is going to be wintertime” in Brazil when there should be fewer mosquitoes to spread Zika. Not exactly a great sound bite.
Dawson was flanked by Anthony Scanlon, executive director of the IGF, and Ty Votaw, vice president of the IGF. No matter how hard they tried to cast a shining light on the situation, the trio did little to break the dark cloud.
Yes, 34 countries will be represented in the men’s tournament and 34 in the women’s, 40 countries in all. The course designed by Gil Hanse is a stunning stage. A potential worldwide audience of 3.6 billion will be watching. As Dawson said, it’s the biggest “grow-the-game opportunity” for golf.
Scanlon, who said he’s been to Rio 25 times in the last five years and never once felt unsafe, said there is enormous significance in winning a gold medal despite many players viewing each of the four majors as a chance at winning, if you will, a gold medal.
“Between each Olympics, there’s 16 opportunities for the men to win a major and for the ladies 20,” he said. “So gold medals are scarce to come by.”
But the potential impact golf could have has been stunted. Only four of the top 10 players in the world will be in Rio and eight of the top 15. The USA will be represented by Bubba Watson, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 5, No. 7 Rickie Fowler, who committed to playing Sunday, No. 13 Patrick Reed and No. 15 Matt Kuchar. Not bad at all, but it’s not the best.
It’s like going to a Rolling Stones concert and finding out Mick Jagger and Keith Richards took the night off. Stars sell the show.
Granted, millions of people around the world who couldn’t pick Spieth or Day or McIlroy out of a lineup could nonetheless become intrigued with golf if they see it in the Olympics. But with the game’s four best players skipping Rio, you have to wonder what impact that will have on allotted space and placement for golf news in publications, on websites and on sports highlight shows around the globe.
It’s a world of difference from how things looked and sounded back in 2009, when golf was voted back into the Games.
“We had massive support in 2009 from both the top men and the top women,” Dawson said. “It’s true to say that the top players today are by and large different people from the ones that were talking then. Whether there’s been a sea change in opinion, I don’t actually think so. I think you’re going to see golf come through as a strong Olympic sport. And importantly a strong and supportive member of the Olympic movement and Olympic family.”
We’ll see.