Make Golf Olympic in 2016
The Olympic Golf Debate
Should Golf be in or out of the Olympic Games?
Golf should Not be in the olympics:
The inclusion of commercial sports has created an unfair playing field, which goes against the spirit of the Olympics.
If the IOC officials really wish to revive the Olympic Games, they should exclude these kind of sports.
Moreover, there is already a better version of Olympic Golf right now ... it's called the Ryder Cup.
Even when one argues that the Ryder Cup does not shine light on all the countries of the world then there are the 4 Majors already,
where people from every corner of the earth compete against one another. The high profile player Geoff Ogilvy is against Golf becoming an olympic event.
The former United States Open champion has broken ranks to oppose golf being added to the Olympics.
In a recent interview with The Melbourne Sun-Herald he said: "I don't think professional golf needs the Olympics, nor does the Olympics need professional golf."
Ogilvy, currently ranked fifth in the world, said: "If the sport does join the Olympics, my suggestion would be that it would be more appropriate for amateurs to play, rather than pros, to promote the true spirit of the Olympics.
However, I am generally not in favour of the idea."
Golf should be In the Olympics:
Of course the commercial against argument can be countered by saying that golf is a low-tech sport and is mainly based on talent and sportsmanship. Success in this discipline is not based on the biggest wallet but on the person playing it. Another argument that can be used if that the self ruling and honourable spirit of golf is very much in line with the spirit of the Olympics. Next to this, golf is played by more than 60 million men and women on all the world's continents, and is ever increasing in number of participants. It is an extremely popular event for television viewing and offers several benefits to an Olympic Organizing Committee. No costly stadiums need to be erected as the game takes place in natural outdoor settings, and these venues already exist worldwide. Also, it could become part of the Olympic games by adding only 100 athletes, with no qualifying heats necessary and scores are positive and verifiable, with no recourse to subjective judgements. World number 2 player Phil Mickelson reportedly said: "Hopefully in the future, golf will become an Olympic sport, because then the Olympic foundations from every country will start to fund and support golf in all the countries throughout the world and golf will become a much more global sport." "Hopefully I'll still be playing (in 2016) and maybe have a chance but I think it would be better if it was for amateur golfers. As professionals, we have a chance to compete in Ryder Cups, President Cups and World Cups and represent our country in so many different ways."
Who should be playing at the Olympics? Amateurs or Professional Golfers ?
Olympic Golf should be for amateur golfers only:
Amateur golf is thriving around the world, why not let them take part in the Olympics, and leave the professionals to their own competitions.
The busy professional Golf calendar leaves very little space for an additional event, this leaves an opportunity for a world class event
for amateurs. There are many competitions available for the likes of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods to compete in at professional level,
without them taking over the amateur world of sport once every four years. Many of the top professional golfers seem to share this view.
Olympic Golf should be for professional golfers only:
The modern Olympics of 2016 deserve only the very best players to compete for the Olympic Medals.
Many officials of the leading authorities in the world of golf and the Olympics seem to be of this opinion.
They argue that the format should be consisting of 72 holes of individual stroke play for the top 50 men and 50 women.
The leading two players from any country, who are in the top 300 of the official world rankings, would be eligible.
Wild card spots would be allotted to ensure representative continental fields but with a maximum of three golfers from each nation.