Olympic Golf Concept

This story looks at the push for golf in the 2012 Olympics and quotes the USGA's David Fay, who seems to about the only person interested in the movement (Frank Hannigan implied in this hilarious Golfobserver.com story that the USGA may also be interested in landing the high paid position golf in the Olympics would create along with other benefits. Or could Fay just be interested in the job for himself, leaving the mess he's created at the USGA for someone else to deal with?).

As the latest Olympic-golf article points out, the Tour and its players could care less. The format recommended by Fay and the R&A's Peter Dawson also demonstrates a lack of imagination typical in modern golf.

Sam Weinman writes, “Fay and Dawson said an Olympic golf competition should be similar to a major championship, with professionals playing 72 holes of stroke play. Eligibility, on both the men's and women's sides, would be determined by the world rankings.”

Doesn’t golf already have two meaningless tournaments just like this…oh yeah, they’re called the World Championship events.

Fay reasons that "in areas where golf is just beginning, it would mean a great boost."

Now, lets think about this for a moment. Fay says burgeoning programs in China, Croatia, Russia and Latvia need a push, and making golf an Olympic sport would get golf growing in those countries.

"In order to get jump-started you need funding, and in order to get funding, you need to be an Olympic sport,” he says.

But if the Olympic golf event field is determined by the world rankings -- and we know how slow those are to reflect what’s going on in golf -- there is almost no chance anyone "developed" in these countries new to golf would actually make the Olympics in 2012, and perhaps not until 2016 at the earliest. Not much incentive is there? Start preparing golfers who might someday crack the world ranking, which is dependent on professional play in significant events?

This seems to be asking a lot of these organizations. How about amateurs from all countries playing 3-team matches ala the old Dunhill Cup? Wouldn't that prove to be more accessible, entertaining and Olympic-like?

Sure, some country would enter and none of their guys would break 85 in their first round match, but isn't that part of the Olympic spirit?

Dick Ebersol must not think so.