Top golf players are full of enthusiasm as their appointed ambassadors work to have golf included as an Olympic sport. Players are citing that the most memorable events are those where you represent your country in a foreign competition. Bringing back a medal is a honor that carries the most valued memories and respect, especially for one's opponents. That is the feeling that Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam are hoping to covey in their mission to include golf in the Olympics.
Despite the players feelings which are along the same line as the Olympics values, opponents to their inclusion state that there are already competitions with an Olympic-like renown. The PGA championship, varied Open tournaments, the Masters; these competitions are already elite with an international showing. But the International Golf Federation and its ambassadors state that the Olympics is the quintessential sports tournament. One need only look at the Olympic games in Beijing games to understand the want to participate in such a honored and prestigious competition.
The format has not yet been fleshed out, and the IGF is seeking input from top players for an April deadline for submission to the International Olympics Committee. The format will be finalized, most likely, during the June meeting between the IGF and IOC in Switzerland. If accepted overall, the games would be held in 2016, allowing today's top amateurs the chance at being golf's first Olympians.
The format which has the most support is a 72 hole medal play among 60 players, although match play is considered for inclusion. There will not be teams in the competition, and the biggest hurdle remaining is determining the field of play. There will not be a shortage of players as golf is a sport in over a hundred countries, and roughly 30 of them are responsible for our top players. Choosing who would compete would likely be based upon global rankings, balancing the strongest player and hosting the most countries possible.
The IGF offers the biggest reason to include golf in the Olympic games, and that is the impact of Olympic recognition on golf enthusiasm and increased funding to national golf federations. The World Cup and World Amateur Team Championship are the only events that are comparable to the Olympics. The World Amateur Team Championships is played by three man teams over 72 holes, and is nicknamed the Olympics of Golf. The tournament perhaps does provide a model of the global possibilities of the game, with growth in countries not previously known for golf.
Ever since the first WATC, where 25 countries were represented, every year saw the inclusion of more countries in the games. In 1960, 32 teams competed, and by 2006, 70 countries were participating. More countries could have participated, but the expense of traveling to the championships makes the proposal out of reach for a number of countries. This is what the IGF is hoping would change once golf becomes an Olympic sport.
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