Woods and Weir press for the Olympics

[T@T]

"Golf is one of seven sports being considered for inclusion in the 2016 Games."

I can think of a few sports that shouldn't be there ahead of a truely international popular sport like golf.

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/news-centr...tml?cid=rsstsn

If it does get in what kind of format should they use? one on one? two man teams? four man?

Personally I think golf is an individual sport first and foremost, one player from each country and one 4 day tourney. 1-3 get the medals.

[moon]

Originally Posted by T@T

"Golf is one of seven sports being considered for inclusion in the 2016 Games."

I can think of a few sports that shouldn't be there ahead of a truely international popular sport like golf.

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/news-centr...tml?cid=rsstsn

If it does get in what kind of format should they use? one on one? two man teams? four man?

Personally I think golf is an individual sport first and foremost, one player from each country and one 4 day tourney. 1-3 get the medals.

One player from each country would make Olympic golf a pretty weak tournament, considering the majority of golfers would be left out and the US "trials" would be a better tournament.

Doesn't mean that it shouldn't be in the Olympics but limiting it to one person from a country would really impact the quality of the tournament.

[ricoFlame]

what individual olympic sport has only one rep from each country? 3 is a more likely number

[T@T]

Originally Posted by moon

One player from each country would make Olympic golf a pretty weak tournament, considering the majority of golfers would be left out and the US "trials" would be a better tournament.

Doesn't mean that it shouldn't be in the Olympics but limiting it to one person from a country would really impact the quality of the tournament.

I think you underestimating the quality of golf world wide, On the PGA tour there are over 20 country's represented by players, then there's the european tour with a lot as well. I think it would be more of a crap shoot then most of the other Olympic sports.

USA would be the favorite but only if Tiger won the right to represent them, who's to say he would beat Phil,Jim or many others to get there?

[T@T]

Originally Posted by ricoFlame

what individual olympic sport has only one rep from each country? 3 is a more likely number

Yeah good point, maybe to stop a sh*T show with too many players they could put a limit to two per country.

[iggnuef]

I'd love to see it, but as a Ryder cup style, just worldwide.

2-4 players per country, or something like that

[moon]

Originally Posted by T@T

I think you underestimating the quality of golf world wide, On the PGA tour there are over 20 country's represented by players, then there's the european tour with a lot as well. I think it would be more of a crap shoot then most of the other Olympic sports.

USA would be the favorite but only if Tiger won the right to represent them, who's to say he would beat Phil,Jim or many others to get there?

I realize that there is a lot of talent, but that doesn't change the fact that the top golfers still come from a few countries.

Of the top 20- 7 are from the States, 2 Irish, 2 English, 2 Swedes. So right off the bat 9 of the top 20 golfers are gone from the Olympics. Expand it to the top 25 and not a single new country is added. So out of the top 25 you have 11 golfers.

Add in the fact that traditionally good players like Retief Goosen, Tim Clark, Adam Scott and Miguel Jimenez would all be excluded (assuming their better countrymen go) would also be out of the tournament and the field looks to be pretty weak.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by moon

I realize that there is a lot of talent, but that doesn't change the fact that the top golfers still come from a few countries.

Of the top 20- 7 are from the States, 2 Irish, 2 English, 2 Swedes. So right off the bat 9 of the top 20 golfers are gone from the Olympics. Expand it to the top 25 and not a single new country is added. So out of the top 25 you have 11 golfers.

Add in the fact that traditionally good players like Retief Goosen, Tim Clark, Adam Scott and Miguel Jimenez would all be excluded (assuming their better countrymen go) would also be out of the tournament and the field looks to be pretty weak.

Why does this matter? it still would be better than watching table tennis of water polo. Actually I would be willing to bet golf would be in the top 5 for ticket sales.

[moon]

Originally Posted by T@T

Why does this matter? it still would be better than watching table tennis of water polo. Actually I would be willing to bet golf would be in the top 5 for ticket sales.

It matters in terms of the importance of the tournament. If it is a second tier, and it seems lucky to be considered that based on the quality of the competition, then not only are fans not going to want to go but the players won't either.

It would take a lot of time in their already "busy" schedules and considering how often the top guys skip tournament with much better fields all the time I wonder if even the allure of a Gold Medal is would be that appealing if the win comes against the top golfer that Uganda has.

Also the logistics of making sure that the host city has a golf course that would be adequate could cause a problem as well.

I guess I don't see the point of having Golf in the Olympics if you are eliminating half the top players in the world from playing in it.

Other individual sports have multiple competitors in each event I don't see why golf should be different. Even limiting it to two doesn't make much sense.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by T@T

Why does this matter? it still would be better than watching table tennis of water polo. Actually I would be willing to bet golf would be in the top 5 for ticket sales.

And someone in South Korea would tell you that table tennis is better than watching ice hockey.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

And someone in South Korea would tell you that table tennis is better than watching ice hockey.

Miss the point much?
And the Korean's would be wrong, forgetting the fact their not even in the same games, hockey at the winter Olympics is the #1 draw for ticket sales, I wonder how table tennis ranks at the summer games.

Fact remains, Golf would be a huge draw, even the Korean's would watch it over fricken table tennis.(if they were head to head)

[T@T]

Originally Posted by moon

I guess I don't see the point of having Golf in the Olympics if you are eliminating half the top players in the world from playing in it.

The point is to get as many country's involved, the Olympics have evolved into a country vers country sport not just the best players. the USA could sent 4 basketball teams to the games and probably sweep all 3 medals.

You make it sound like there's zero chance that there wouldn't be any excitement because "all" off the top players wouldn't be there.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by T@T

Miss the point much?

Actually, you are missing the point, both of my post, and of the entire (now lost) purpose of the Olympic movement.

"I think this sport is better/more exciting than that sport" is simply dumb when arguing the desire to include a sport. The Olympics are a world event and just because our side of the world does not have a passion for a certain sport does not make it inferior to one we do.

The fact that we are arguing the merit of a sport based on assumptions of popularity pretty much shows that the original Olympic movement is dead.

The arguments for or against the inclusion of golf, and any other sport, should revolve around the level of competition around the world. I personally think it has enough to merit inclusion, but "x is better than y" is not a valid argument in my view.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by T@T

The point is to get as many country's involved, the Olympics have evolved into a country vers country sport not just the best players. the USA could sent 4 basketball teams to the games and probably sweep all 3 medals.

Given the performance of the Americans at many tournaments over the last decade or so, not a great example.

[mykalberta]

It would have to be single elimination NCAA style touney, or just a normal touney where the top 3 get medals. It would be a fairly short event though - 4 days.

I would prefer the single elimination. But you cannot have 3 players from every country, it would have to be say the top 40 or so that finish in a particular tournament or say the top 40 money winners for that previous year.