Players pulling out of Olympics

[Hacker Khan]

Why would they have a mix event when the ladies know they would struggle to compete against the men ?

I'm guessing they mean a team event. So instead of competing for individual medals it is a team gold they will get. Must admit I'd probably be more likely to watch that than a 72 hole stroke play. Rose, Willet, Charlie Hull and Mel Reid in one team, I'd probably watch that.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I'm guessing they mean a team event. So instead of competing for individual medals it is a team gold they will get. Must admit I'd probably be more likely to watch that than a 72 hole stroke play. Rose, Willet, Charlie Hull and Mel Reid in one team, I'd probably watch that.

Well they could have done so much more than just a 72 hole stroke play

It will be just a boring old comp

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Golf in the Olympics does nothing at all for me. Don't think it should even be there.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

At 2010 the events you list were all sold out very quickly - the atmosphere at those events was brilliant - the football for example was littered with empty seats and they were the tickets that people could still get including the finals.

Things like the dressage was rammed

Same with all the other events

The Olympics gives people a chance to watch the non main stream sports and those are the sports people watch - they know they can watch football and tennis week in week out but handball and water polo - not so much.

That's the whole idea of the Olympics for me and that's why I think golf will be poorly supported and will die a death as an Olympic sport

But a lot of the events in my opinion were only fully booked because of the British curiosity and the fact it was held in London. I really can't see the same take up of tickets and interests in these sort of events in Rio

 

[Beedee]

I must admit I'm firmly in the "shouldn't be an Olympic sport" camp.

However, I don't think you'll have to worry about whether or not to spend hours watching the TV coverage. It's one sport out of a couple of dozen that will all be happening at the same time. And if it's timed to be up against athletics, rowing or cycling, I'm fairly confident which one will be shown by British broadcasters!

 

[palindromicbob]

I must admit I'm firmly in the "shouldn't be an Olympic sport" camp.

However, I don't think you'll have to worry about whether or not to spend hours watching the TV coverage. It's one sport out of a couple of dozen that will all be happening at the same time. And if it's timed to be up against athletics, rowing or cycling, I'm fairly confident which one will be shown by British broadcasters!

Red button will play a major part in coverage so Golf is still a good possibility of being watched fully.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Red button will play a major part in coverage so Golf is still a good possibility of being watched fully.

Yep you will be able to watch every single event normally via the red button or website

 

[Beedee]

Yep you will be able to watch every single event normally via the red button or website

Just noticed that Discovery channel have the full rights with BBC sharing rights but not having full coverage. Will be interesting to see how much of the more unusual sports is available to those without full Sky packages (I'm also a fencing fan - absolutely loved the coverage in 2012)

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Just noticed that Discovery channel have the full rights with BBC sharing rights but not having full coverage. Will be interesting to see how much of the more unusual sports is available to those without full Sky packages (I'm also a fencing fan - absolutely loved the coverage in 2012)

Discovery are the host broadcaster and BBC have exclusive rights with them until 2024 but the full details im guessing won't be fully known until closer. Thankfully it will always be on terrestrial

 

[Crow]

The golf should have been mixed five club foursomes bogey.

Something a bit different from your usual 72 hole stroke play.

That sounds great, where can I play this format?

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Ryder cup style competition would be good: team of 2 per country -
1 round foresomes + 1 round FBBB + 1 round singles. All medal scores to count towards overall totals.

 

[backwoodsman]

Can't think that I'll be any more excited about Olympic golf than i would for the Ike's Sprockets Greater Hicksville Invitational. But if it's on would i watch it? Course I would, it's golf. And I'd be rooting for the Brits.

But whilst some of you think different, i can't see that there'll be anything like the same airtime for it as we'd get for something like the majors. Too much else happening concurrently

And back to original topic - can see that plenty of names might not bother. And to be realistic, many of the world's best won't get in anyway, because team size is limited. For example, only 4 Americans can play meaning nearly half of the world top 50 won't be there simply because they are also American

Players currently in the frame to qualify are..
http://www.igfgolf.org/olympic-games/qualification-system/ogr-men/
http://www.igfgolf.org/olympic-games/qualification-system/ogr-women/

 

[Smiffy]

"We leave the golf to update you on the 5-a-side slug racing".

 

[BubbaP]

On the format, will there be a cut after two rounds?

At majors the players out of top few places have ranking points & invites back next year to play for. Can imagine a chunk of the field out of a chance of a top 3 finish quite early.

 

[backwoodsman]

On the format, will there be a cut after two rounds?

At majors the players out of top few places have ranking points & invites back next year to play for. Can imagine a chunk of the field out of a chance of a top 3 finish quite early.

Can't imagine why there'd be a cut. There will only be 60 in the field anyway.

But the fact that plenty will be "out of it" after a couple of rounds is part of the mystery of why 72 hole strokeplay has been chosen as format. Matchplay would have been better. (There's plenty of olympic sports where you're out after one round and so on.)

 

[Slab]

For those questioning the strokeplay format it’s perhaps worth looking at it from another angle and considering why golf is being included in the Olympics

I’d assumed it was to showcase the sport to a global audience, many of whom would otherwise not view the sport, in an effort to increase awareness, interest and participation across all ages and countries

If the above is even close to being accurate why on earth would they pick any format other than individual strokeplay?
It’s the most popular comp format and just about every other televised comp will be strokeplay and if you are reaching out to a new audience why confuse them with a format different to what they’d play/watch if they do decide to take an interest in the sport

If golf is seen as worthy of inclusion in future Olympics after its introduction then by all means cut the strokeplay down (maybe a 36 hole format) and introduce another scoring/team format for a second medal chance

I doubt anyone of a golf forum was the intended target when golf was being pushed to be included in the Olympics

 

[backwoodsman]

For those questioning the strokeplay format it’s perhaps worth looking at it from another angle and considering why golf is being included in the Olympics

I’d assumed it was to showcase the sport to a global audience, many of whom would otherwise not view the sport, in an effort to increase awareness, interest and participation across all ages and countries

If the above is even close to being accurate why on earth would they pick any format other than individual strokeplay?
It’s the most popular comp format and just about every other televised comp will be strokeplay and if you are reaching out to a new audience why confuse them with a format different to what they’d play/watch if they do decide to take an interest in the sport

If golf is seen as worthy of inclusion in future Olympics after its introduction then by all means cut the strokeplay down (maybe a 36 hole format) and introduce another scoring/team format for a second medal chance

I doubt anyone of a golf forum was the intended target when golf was being pushed to be included in the Olympics

I take your point, and yes, promoting the sport to a global audience is the supposed reason for inclusion in the Olympics. But quite frankly, in these days of global satellite TV, are the Olympics really going to introduce golf to a wider audience any more than existing coverage. Yes Olympics get a big audience, but again, you have to consider the coverage is of some 40 or so sports. Sports that you've never heard of before may be more high profile, but golf i doubt it.

 

[Tarkus1212]

Totally agree. Won't be watching any of the Olympic golf and frankly couldn't care less who wins. They had the perfect opportunity to make it a different format and thus attract some significant interest, but blew it IMO.

Couldn't agree more. I won't be bothering with it, I'd rather watch the archery.

 

[Tarkus1212]

For those questioning the strokeplay format it’s perhaps worth looking at it from another angle and considering why golf is being included in the Olympics

I’d assumed it was to showcase the sport to a global audience, many of whom would otherwise not view the sport, in an effort to increase awareness, interest and participation across all ages and countries

If the above is even close to being accurate why on earth would they pick any format other than individual strokeplay?
It’s the most popular comp format and just about every other televised comp will be strokeplay and if you are reaching out to a new audience why confuse them with a format different to what they’d play/watch if they do decide to take an interest in the sport

If golf is seen as worthy of inclusion in future Olympics after its introduction then by all means cut the strokeplay down (maybe a 36 hole format) and introduce another scoring/team format for a second medal chance

I doubt anyone of a golf forum was the intended target when golf was being pushed to be included in the Olympics

The golf will only be appealing to non-golfers if the format produces excitement. I know plenty of non-golfers who watch the Ryder Cup, possibly not every minute but a decent enough amount, because over the years it has been a good contest and has produced some truly memorable moments.

Personally I don't think that golf's inclusion in the Olympics in a 72 hole strokeplay format is going to do anything to increase awareness, interest or participation. How many non-golfers are going to get excited by watching Day & Spieth playing like snails for the thick end of 5 hours? If they've any interest then they'll simply tune in for the final couple of holes to see who wins.

Remember the Curling at the Winter Olympics when the British Ladies won gold? How many of us were mesmerised by that and watched avidly? Loads of us. How many of us have taken up the sport as a result of seeing it on tv? No one that I know. How many of us have even taken an interest in Curling outside of the Winter Olympics? Again, no-one that I know.

 

[Slab]

The golf will only be appealing to non-golfers if the format produces excitement. I know plenty of non-golfers who watch the Ryder Cup, possibly not every minute but a decent enough amount, because over the years it has been a good contest and has produced some truly memorable moments.

Personally I don't think that golf's inclusion in the Olympics in a 72 hole strokeplay format is going to do anything to increase awareness, interest or participation. How many non-golfers are going to get excited by watching Day & Spieth playing like snails for the thick end of 5 hours? If they've any interest then they'll simply tune in for the final couple of holes to see who wins.

Remember the Curling at the Winter Olympics when the British Ladies won gold? How many of us were mesmerised by that and watched avidly? Loads of us. How many of us have taken up the sport as a result of seeing it on tv? No one that I know. How many of us have even taken an interest in Curling outside of the Winter Olympics? Again, no-one that I know.

I guess a lot of the 'mesmerised' didn't watch all the GB ladies matches? Wasn't it just the latter stages or even just the final that got folks attention?
How did they change the normal curling format for the Olympics to make it more exciting?

Plenty will only have watched the final of the womens curling as opposed to every round, which compares to new viewers only watching the final 18 holes (or just the back 9 even)

I've no idea how well it'll do in achieving the goal of increasing awareness etc for golf but formatting it like a ryder cup in the hope it'll achieve the same excitement levels just wouldn't work
The ryder cup has taken decades to get to the levels of hype, presentation and intense rivalry it has now. Would it still be as exciting if you added another 20 or 30 nations to it this year?

It'd be great to think we could get excitement like that without having to wait 2 years for it to come round again but the Olympics isn't the place to introduce another 2-team tournament