Filed under: Tournaments
Wouldn’t it be cool if golf was a part of the Olympics? Certainly the R&A and IGF think so, and I’d be inclined to agree. To quote from an article on the R&A site:
The proposed format for an Olympic golf event is two competitions - one for men and one for women - each consisting of 72 holes of individual stroke play, with 50 players in each field. The leading two players, from any country, who are in the top 300 of the official world rankings, would be eligible. Wild card spots would be allotted to ensure representative continental fields.
Golf is played by more than 60 million men and women on all the world�s continents, and is ever increasing in number of participants. It is an extremely popular event for television viewing and offers several benefits to an Olympic Organizing Committee. No costly stadiums need to be erected as the game takes place in natural outdoor settings, and these venues already exist worldwide. Also, golf could become part of the Olympic games by adding only 100 athletes, with no qualifying heats necessary and scores are positive and verifiable, with no recourse to subjective judgements.
Developing the game of golf internationally - an invaluable and inevitable side effect of the sport�s possible inclusion in the Olympics - offers several benefits. It is a game that teaches honour and integrity, as players often serve as their own referees. It teaches patience and discipline.
Golf is one of the few sports where people of all ability levels can play a fair and even match, thanks to the game�s widespread handicap and multiple tee system. It has proved to be an avenue for unity and opportunity for minorities, juniors, and athletes with disabilities. It is one of the few sports that can be enjoyably played for a lifetime, therefore offering perpetual health benefits to its participants.
Source: The R&A Homepage
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