Mission Impossible: Solve The Olympic Format Problem

Should you wish to accept this mission to improve on the current 72-hole stroke play format and help save golf's 2016 return to the Olympic Games, you will likely be helping an effort that is doomed to not inspire golf fans due to the uninspired format.

As someone who has been lamenting the format for almost two years now, it's exciting to see so much discussion and awareness of the current Olympic golf limitations.

Now, you must understand that there are very strict parameters within which you must work in proposing an alternative.

• The fields will consist of 60 men and 60 women. That is not changing in 2016 due to the IOC's stance on beds.

• The competition should be held over four days, but if you have good reason, we can extend to five or a partial sixth day.

• You can add an additional gold/silver/bronze medal, say for a separate match play portion of the event. The IOC apparently doesn't mind giving out another medal.

• You can try to introduce a team element but it must work within the confines of some sort of stroke play format.

With that said, I'll repeat my favored tweak within the parameters: Day one and two consists of 36 holes of stroke play, 18 holes  each day.

That is followed by a cut to forty players or those within 10 shots of the lead. Day three is a 36-hole round to determine the gold medal.

Day four would consist of the low eight from stroke play, contesting morning and afternoon matches. Day five would consist of morning semi-finals, followed by an 18-hole match for a second gold medal to the match play winner and a bronze medal match for third.

This format is designed to make athleticism and fitness key to winning both medals, which I believe would be a feat comparable to winning a major championship. As much as it pains me, I don't see how a team format works within the current structure. After all, the worst team play event in golf is better than 99% of stroke play.

Good luck.

Comments

[john fischer]

Geoff, how about some tweak of the NCAA division I format - 54 holes of stroke play for individual medals, followed by the low 4 or 8 teams playing match play. 3 players from each country. 3 singles matches in each round of team match play.

[BM]

Day 1 & 2 = Stroke Play Qualifying
Day 3,4,5 Match Play to determine medals

or

Do the whole thing as better ball of partners...
Day 1 = stroke play for seeding
Day 2,3,4,5 = BB Match Play for Medals

[JS]

How about 54 holes of stroke play with an individual winner (gold, silver, bronze) at the end of 54 holes. After the 54 holes, you take the aggregate score of the 8 lowest scoring teammates (by country) and seed for match play to have a team winner.

For example, you'd have teams of Tiger/Phil USA, McIlroy/McDowell, Donald/Westwood, Scott/Olgilvy, Molinari's, etc.

[Ghost of Perry Maxwell]

olympic golf, sorry can't get excited. thought we have the championships of championships every week. too much golf on tv as is

[The O]

I think you are over thinking this a bit. How about something like a modified version of the standard high end AM events: 2 rounds of stroke play, then 16 people make match play, four matches to win. Consolation match for the Bronze. There's no reason to give a second medal for match play. Team win is based on stroke play, which something the USGA does during the Pub Links for example.

[No Longer Used to be Former S&T Convert]

Based on the number of medals in other sports, there should be an individual match play gold medal, 18 hole stroke play gold medal, 72 hole stroke play gold medal, plus team gold medals in both match play and stroke play.

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

Team scramble (Lauderdale format) with $100 skins pot (since we are talking about pros). $50 birdies, eagles, sandies, froggies, woodies (not that kind). 2 mulligans allowed @$200 each (must be purchased before starting). Cart girls recruited from Ipanema and wearing the same clothes. Hot dogs, hamburgers (some kind of mystery meat shipped in by Sysco), chips, runny potato salad with unidentifiable green things in it, stale chocolate chip cookies, and two kegs of Bud Light on the terrace at the conclusion of play. Ties broken in a scorecard playoff counting back from the 18th, no matter what hole you started on. Medals and other winnings awarded during "dinner." It would be possible to get all 30 groups on the course at once, and since we are talking about really good golfers, they should finish within 6 hours. In this format all 120 players will finish in one day so they can get on with their lives in their real worlds. Win, win, win...

[Bill Shamleffer]

30 2-person teams for men and women

All alternate shot (foursomes)

Day 1: 18 holes stroke play - alternate shot
Day 2: 18 holes stroke play - alternate shot
Top 16 teams from each (men & women) advance to match-play
Day 3: 16 (8 of men & 8 of women) matches (alternate shot) in the morning; 8 matches in the afternoon (4 & 4).
Day 4: 4 Semis in the morning; 4 matches in the afternnon( Two Champship and two bronze medal).

One more thing - To be eligible, each entrant MUST stay in the Olympic village. That may get rid of any prima donna superstars.


AND - No caddies!

[Steve Wozeniak PGA]

Wow......I knew we would soon get a 5th Major.........

EVERY GOLF fan on Planet Earth is waiting to see which one wins the gold.........

[Robert Matre]

Wanna improve it? Get everybody- federations, tours, players, olympics, media- to make a serious commitment and play it as a Major. Even a 72-hole stroke play format with a Gold Medal and a Major title were on the line. Might be enough to have golf upstage other popular sports, especially the final round. You'd have to expand the field though.

[Seán O'Nuallain]

@Ghost

Couldn't agree more. I see it as I do futbol. I'm a huge fan. I follow 2.5 leagues (does anyone care about the bottom half of the La Liga table?), CL on two continents and as much international as I can. Haven't watched five seconds of Olympic soccer. Don't care. Don't want to care.

The best solution for Olympic golf would be the absence of Olympic golf.

[Golden Bell]

Big fan of the Western Amateur format (being played this week at Exmoor CC, by the way): 72 holes of stroke play, a cut after 36, then a cut after 72 to the Sweet 16 for match play. Playoff if needed to get to the 16. It gives you three days of stroke play to determine a team title, then two days of match play (two rounds a day) for the individual champion. 144 holes, more or less, for the two finalists, over five days.

[Lynn S.]

Best idea above submitted so far, no caddies.

[digsouth]

''To be eligible, each entrant MUST stay in the Olympic village. That may get rid of any prima donna superstars.
AND - No caddies!''

+3!

''EVERY GOLF fan on Planet Earth is waiting to see which one wins the gold.........''

Riiigghhht....sarcasm at its best, Steve

+2

Ky..... WOW for all that, you.....da man!

+2

''The best solution for Olympic golf would be the absence of Olympic golf.''

+++++*****FIVE STARS*****+++++

[redneck]

Agree that NO golf should be in the Olympics.

Seems almost as meaningless as that glorified exhibition they call Ryder Cup.

[Native speaker]

Score it based on time. All tee off at the same time, the first one to complete 72 holes win. The score does not matter. Then we will see who the athletes are.

[elf]

Given my experience with fencing, I'm surprised at the idea that the IOC would be ok with adding medals, they certainly haven't been in the past.

36 hole individual tournament - indiv medals awarded

using aggregate score top 16 2 person teams advance to match-play (seeded based on the aggregate scoring)
Day 3: 16 - 8 - 4
Day 4: 4 - 2, bronze and gold matches

[Willie]

Can't wait to see Team Japan golf coach Jumbo Ozaki march in the opening cermonies with his two traveling chefs and asst. coach Joe.

[greg c]

Two words: SKILLS CHALLENGE! Make it a decathalon of golf. Nobody gives a s..t about it anyway.

[Geoff]

Love the no caddies call.

greg c - a skills challenge is off the table, viewed as silly by the IGF. However, if they had a long drive contest and a few others, it'd probably be aired in prime time and the more interesting competition for most fans.

[digsouth]

I already called for a skills challenge ...my ''Olympic Break'' idea.

Bust the glass, kiss my bleep

[Gavin]

If you can just get the players up to 64, then play in 32 national teams of two & play matchplay using a 2 ball scramble format. It's never going to be regarded as a major, so might as well make it different, and this way you'd get lots of attacking golf. Played over 4 days, with semi final and final on day 4. Love the no caddies suggestion above.

[act38]

I also agree with a skills challenge.

For me, the problem in terms of format stems from the fact that golf more than any other sport isn't able to identify the best players over a small time period of a few days. It seems to me that the sports where this is possible (e.g. Athletics - if you run the 100m ten times Bolt is going to be in the top 3 every time, it's just the placing that might change) are the best Olympic sports and the ones where it's less so (Tennis, Golf) don't seem to quite fit in so much.

Maybe if some of these sports could have their Olympics spread out over the whole year it would be better, so it's more like an Olympic Order of Merit for that year. This however may lead to the problem of the FedEx Cup where you then have to create some finale that never quite works.

[johnnycz]

2 great formats:

1)Modified Stableford points system (see Reno Tahoe open this year)

or

2) The last person to play a hole over par wins the gold medal (The tourney could be over by the 10th tee if Hanse wants it to!)....paper rock scissors will be used to determine Silver Bronze and the Potato medals and tiebreaks.

[Adam Clayman]

Play the spec game.

4 person Team Comp;

One point for each birdie (2 for Eagle)
One point for closest to the pin on the par 3's
A 2, 2 & 2 pt. Nassau (stroke play)
A 6 hole Rabbit. If one team can hold the leg (outright skin) after each 6 hole interval, they get a point.

Everyone golfs their own ball. The only complicated aspect is when one must mark their ball. If the players are always away, there's no complication.

With the Badminton controversy highlighting how format decisions can affect play, (and the IOC's ignorance) it shouldn't be too hard to sell. :)

[Stephen]

30 teams of 2, with some countries having multiple teams (like beach volleyball, badminton, etc.)

Day 1 - 18 hole better ball.
Day 2 - 18 hole alternate shot.
Day 3 - 18 hole alternate shot (Chapman system) - create lower scores on moving day.
Day 4 - 18 hole individual ball total score for both team members - 2 players individual play can create maximum change in standings on last day.

Total score for all 90 holes played determines winning teams.

[smails]

better question is to ask if we follow one of these crazy plans, and ratings go in the tank, how does golf get back into the olympics after getting dropped?

[Matt H.]

Get rid of the limit to a field of 30 by having local and regional qualifiers. Open to all. With handicaps. The lowest two scores from each of the continental qualifiers get to the Olympic venue. Shoot the winners, award medals to the highest net score.

[Charlie]

we should do it like swimming....

longest drive - gold medal
longest putt - medal
best up and down - gold medal
most gir - gold medal
on and on and on

this way tiger could have the opportunity to be the best Olympian ever by winning the most medals. HAHA joking