How to fix golf at the Olympics

[Deleted member 15344]

Some sports by their nature have more than one discipline in it - that the allows all walks from that sport the chance to compete - as the Olympics should be

If a golfer was to choose which he would preferto win - a major or an Olympic medal the answer will show why I believe golf shouldn't be in the Olympics , same with Tennis

 

[Deleted member 1147]

How about if the question asked was:

"would your prefer to win a major, an Olympics or both?"

 

[Slab]

Some sports by their nature have more than one discipline in it - that the allows all walks from that sport the chance to compete - as the Olympics should be

If a golfer was to choose which he would preferto win - a major or an Olympic medal the answer will show why I believe golf shouldn't be in the Olympics , same with Tennis

Here I have to agree with you and probably sums up the current situation, however if the R&A & PGA want Olympic golf to be taken seriously then they can influence how the pros view the event with tour invites (exemptions) for the Olympic Champion and such like (would get the interest of anyone outside the top 15 I'd guess)

If they don't then we'll know that lobbying to get it included was a bit of a gimmick and we'll see it disappear after 2020

 

[Hacker Khan]

Trying to answer the OP point then, I'm struggling to think of a format that would cause me to watch.

The big issue is that the traditional form of the game, strokeplay is not overly a great televisual experience to say the least. And that's when you have the worlds best playing, where as at the Olympics there will be a high proportion of less well known players. And whilst I'll happily watch some unknown from Moldavia do a clean and jerk as it's in the Olympics, I'm not overly excited about watching them play golf for 5 hours.

Matchplay would be more exciting, but I expect due to the number of competitors you just could not do it without the event stretching out over several days? And it would therefore lose any narrative or excitement for the viewers. Not that I imagine there will be much to begin with. Not sure how many countries would enter a team. So that leave me with 18 hole bingo, bango, bongo.

 

[ScienceBoy]

How about a big break style format.

With or without John Virgo?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Why not spread it out anyway. What would be wrong with either 18 hole matchplay knockout or a group stage and to 8/16 go through. I don't think it has to be a straight single strokeplay event. Has anything officially been announced about the format (probably)

 

[Slab]

Why not spread it out anyway. What would be wrong with either 18 hole matchplay knockout or a group stage and to 8/16 go through. I don't think it has to be a straight single strokeplay event. Has anything officially been announced about the format (probably)

Only that for Rio it'll be a 72 hole strokeplay over 4 days

 

[muttleee]

I expect due to the number of competitors you just could not do it without the event stretching out over several days? And it would therefore lose any narrative or excitement for the viewers.

The Ryder Cup manages not to lose any narrative or excitement despite being spread out over several days.

 

[Hacker Khan]

The Ryder Cup manages not to lose any narrative or excitement despite being spread out over several days.

I agree, but that is a massively hyped event that means something in the golfing calendar, wall to wall 24 hour coverage/build up and the only event in town. Plus the actual audience for it is relatively small in the UK as it is on Sky and those that do watch it are mostly golf nuts.

Golf in the Olympics will be competing with many other events going on at the same time for the casual viewer, even golf fan if I am honest. And with the best will in the world I doubt there is a TV station in the world that will cover it all live if you had several rounds of Matchplay. And even the red button may think twice about showing it all.

 

[bluewolf]

I think they should make it 4 ball team.. I know a 4 ball from the North West that would almost guarantee a Gold for England..

 

[GB72]

I agree, but that is a massively hyped event that means something in the golfing calendar, wall to wall 24 hour coverage/build up and the only event in town. Plus the actual audience for it is relatively small in the UK as it is on Sky and those that do watch it are mostly golf nuts.

Golf in the Olympics will be competing with many other events going on at the same time for the casual viewer, even golf fan if I am honest. And with the best will in the world I doubt there is a TV station in the world that will cover it all live if you had several rounds of Matchplay. And even the red button may think twice about showing it all.

Coverage is a good point. With so much else going on live and limited TV slots on BBC the best that can be hoped for are a few highlights with a little live coverage thrown in. Would it even be shown in nations that are not represented or do not already have a strong golfing TV audience? If not, I am not sure how it is going to acheive its aim of spreading the game of golf around the globe.

 

[Birchy]

To fix it and make it an Olympic sport :-

Go out into town the night before for a curry

At least 12 pints of lager/ale (No shandies )

Stop at the 24 hour petrol station on the way home for 2 litre bottles of stella

Wake up the next morning rough as a badgers arse then play 18 holes

True Olympic champion is the winner :cheers:

In the event of a tie its who can down a pint of Guinness in the fastest time.

 

[muttleee]

I agree, but that is a massively hyped event that means something in the golfing calendar, wall to wall 24 hour coverage/build up and the only event in town. Plus the actual audience for it is relatively small in the UK as it is on Sky and those that do watch it are mostly golf nuts.

That's true but it had to start somewhere. I remember reading something in GM by a journalist who had covered the 1983 Ryder Cup in Florida. He stopped at a golf club near the venue and got chatting to some of the members - who it turned out had no idea the Ryder Cup was happening just up the road. I'm no fan of the idea of golf in the Olympics but it's not fair to compare it to an event that has had decades to become the spectacle it is today.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Coverage is a good point. With so much else going on live and limited TV slots on BBC the best that can be hoped for are a few highlights with a little live coverage thrown in. Would it even be shown in nations that are not represented or do not already have a strong golfing TV audience? If not, I am not sure how it is going to acheive its aim of spreading the game of golf around the globe.

If Tiger and possibly Rory are playing they they may show some highlights. But I doubt they will be clearing the schedules to show Billy Horschel V Joost Luiten. With all due respect to said golfers.

Also if it was on live somewhere I think you would have to be a very committed golf nut that in the middle of (arguably) the greatest sporting show on earth, you'd chose to dedicate a significant amount of time to something you could see most weekends on Sky Sports 5.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

If it's up against beach volleyball I know which one I'll be watching.

 

[Slab]

If Tiger and possibly Rory are playing they they may show some highlights. But I doubt they will be clearing the schedules to show Billy Horschel V Joost Luiten. With all due respect to said golfers.

Also if it was on live somewhere I think you would have to be a very committed golf nut that in the middle of (arguably) the greatest sporting show on earth, you'd chose to dedicate a significant amount of time to something you could see most weekends on Sky Sports 5.

But that's just it, you cant watch someone win an Olympic golf medal most weekends on SS5!

There is weekly or regular coverage of many Olympic sports but no ones suggesting we don't watch Olympic beach volleyball because I can see it most weekends on Ch4 (whatever the current channel is)

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

Surely another massive issue with golf is that a MASSIVE % (compared to other countries) of the top golfers in the world are American. And therefore either most of the miss out, if its done on X per country, or they have loads more competitors for a Gold than the other countries if it's done on the top XX in the world. Either way seems massively flawed.

 

[muttleee]

Surely another massive issue with golf is that a MASSIVE % (compared to other countries) of the top golfers in the world are American. And therefore either most of the miss out, if its done on X per country, or they have loads more competitors for a Gold than the other countries if it's done on the top XX in the world. Either way seems massively flawed.

Read the link in the original post for an idea of how to produce a better field with more of the world's top players and fewer relative no hopers.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Read the link in the original post for an idea of how to produce a better field with more of the world's top players and fewer relative no hopers.

If sports start to sanitise to ensure no hopers don't compete then you don't get Eric the Eel moments or the young lady from Saudi who was over a minute behind in the 800m

The Olympics is about everyone being able to compete

That means that every country gets the chance to send someone to compete

So only two competitors per country regardless of World Ranking - no extra places for anyone

That's what the Olympics is about

 

[muttleee]

That seems a bit draconian to me.

I'm not saying that "no-hopers" should be excluded - the fact that so many countries can enter should mean that a lot of lower ranked players should still get to play. However, to me it seems crazy that a lot of journeymen should play at the expense of a some of the world's top players. The World Cup situation seems ridiculous sometimes when some of the world's top teams aren't there (because of the vagaries of the qualification system) but the likes of Iran and Costa Rica are (no harm to them).

Look at how tennis did it in the 2012 Games - they used the world's top 56 players (with a limit of 4 per country, so a few lower than that were also included) + 8 wildcards. Of course in tennis it's rare for a player ranked 50+ to beat a player in the top 10 whereas in golf that would not be unusual, so the two situations aren't the same by any means but they didn't feel the need to have low ranked players there just to create more international appeal.

The Olympics is about finding the greatest athletes/sportspeople in the various disciplines. I don't see the point of having competitors like Eddie the Eagle there, to be honest. Makes a bit of a mockery of it, if you ask me.