Golf is in at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but will it be a 'birdie' or a 'bogey'?

October 10, 3:31 PMMinneapolis Golf ExaminerKyle Anway

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Is Olympic Golf the great idea it seems to be on paper?
(Photo: Stock.Xchg)

It's official: men's and women's golf will be new events at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero, meaning Tiger Woods will have yet another award to add to his resume, one that Jack and Arnie won't be able to match. Yes, for the first time since 1904, there will be tee times and Titleists aplenty at the Olympics, as the IOC will host 72-hole men's and women's tournaments for Olympic medals. But is all that glitters, in fact, gold? Let's look at the pros and cons of golf as an Olympic sport...

Positives

Great opportunity to grow the game worldwide. The Olympics will bring the great game of golf to countries that otherwise wouldn't have a lot of exposure to the PGA Tour and it's best players. Brazilians will get to see Tiger and his fellow players close up, and who knows, maybe the 2020 Masters champion will hail from Rio.

Event will intensify the US/European rivalry. The Ryder Cup is so intense because, instead of playing to further pad their bank accounts or their trophy cases, the competitors are playing for their countries or continents of origin. Even the President's Cup, which is the U.S. against the world, doesn't have the same kind of furor. But when individuals are playing not only for personal glory, but to add to their countries' medal count, you may find a Ryder-like experience where players are fired up to win as they would be in a major.

A nice idea for the men, but a fantastic idea for women's golf. While a men's golf tournament in the Olympics may be akin to another mid-major like the Players', for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour, it's a great chance to expose their sport to a worldwide audience at a time when the league is struggling to promote itself in a positive way. And unlike the PGA Tour, which is dominated by a handful of countries, the LPGA is represented by 121 international players representing 27 countries, and many of them can boast at least one LPGA victory. Even Brazil has a hope for a gold medal in women's golf thanks to Angela Park, a third-year player who has 18 top 10s including second- and third-place finishes in the 07' and 08' US Open.

Negatives

Rio courses up to the challenge? Unlike Chicago, Tokyo or even Madrid, Rio de Janiero is not known for it's fabulous golf facilities. Unless Rio organizers and the International Golf Federation decides to build a new facility or choose a course farther away in Brazil, the likely site is the Itanhanga Golf Club near the host city. Itanhanga seems to be a fine facility, but at a length of only about 6,500 yards from the tips, or 1,000 yards shorter than Hazeltine National, site of this year's PGA Championship. While that distance is closer to the average length of LPGA events, for the men of the PGA Tour, it may be more like playing a local muny course.

A games too late. When all is said and done, by 2016, Rio de Janeiro will doubtlessly put serious money into improving or building a golf course worthy of the world's greatest golfers. But imagine Tiger, Vijay, Ernie and everyone else battling for a gold medal in the home of golf, as they would have at the London Games in 2012. Playing an Open Championship course like St. Andrews in the Olympics? Awarding medals on the Swilcan Bridge, or in front of the beautiful clubhouse? I mean, what's more "Royal and Ancient" than the Olympics? Alas, it's not to be (at least, anytime soon).

Will someone other than an American or European win the men's gold? The great thing about most olympic events is that competitors from a great number of countries have a chance to win. Sure, certain countries will dominate certain events for a stretch of time, but you always have the "cinderellas" that vie for the podium. In men's golf, it's hard to imagine a podium that features someone other than an American, a European, or an Australian. Sure, some other countries such as Fiji (Vijay Singh), Argentina (Angel Cabrera) or Columbia (Camilo Villegas) will have a chance, but realistically, only about ten countries have a chance for a men's golfing gold.

Will golf have staying power? Despite what many may think, golf has reached a peak in popularity mainly because of Tiger Woods. While he's declared his intention to play in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, what happens in 2020 or later? Tiger will be 44, and likely retired, as will many of the other big names. Not to mention the "whiparound coverage" nature of the Olympic games that will make it hard for NBC and other networks to dedicate hours upon hours to a golf tournament, essentially turning a huge, worldwide event into to something similar to a tournament held opposite a major.

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