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Why golf?
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-14 08:09 Golf and rugby rejoined the Olympic fold last week and good luck to 'em, I say.
As copious beer drinking is unlikely to make the Games any time soon, my window for Olympic glory has closed, however I don't begrudge any true athlete the opportunity to march under their flag and compete at the world's greatest sporting event. Although I would never be able to beat an Englishman in a dash for whingeing gold, I do feel I have a legitimate gripe though: is it really necessary for golf (and for that matter tennis) to be at the Games? Don't the world's top golfers have four "Olympics" per year already in the US Masters, British Open, US Open and PGA Championship? Don't the tennis players also have four: the Australian, French and US Opens and Wimbledon? The Olympics should be reserved for sports where that gold is the pinnacle of all achievement. Which do you think Tiger Woods would rather win, Games gold or another British Open at St Andrews? And what about his good shaving gel buddy Roger Federer; Olympic glory or Wimbledon title No 7? If patriotism is the driving force for golf and tennis stars there is always (on the men's side) the Ryder and Presidents cups for the swingers of long, thin sticks and Davis Cup for the wielders of racquets. Let some of the more marginal sports - like rugby sevens - have their moment in the sunshine. What about squash, the recently dumped sports of baseball and softball, netball, karate, snooker, 20/20 or one-day cricket, polo, lawn or tenpin bowling, darts, chess and bridge? Golf and tennis don't need any more exposure but these games do. Yes, they all have their versions of world championships but they would pale in comparison to competition at the Games. However, the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are nothing if not pragmatic and they see the marketing potential of golf and particularly its stars like Woods, Phil Mickelson and Lorena Ochoa. The Michael Jordan/Magic Johnson/Larry Bird-led basketball Dream Team of 1992 opened those aged IOC eyes and now they are hawk-like for business and promotional opportunities. Those and millions of millions of other orbs will be glued to the golf in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. If it was matchplay instead of strokeplay, I might even watch too but it's not so it's going to be just like any other tournament any week of the year to me and that's not what the Olympics are supposed to be about. Tym Glaser is a sports copy editor who has more than one golf handicap (China Daily 10/14/2009 page24) |
