TOUR SCENE NEWS ROUND-UP:ALL POLITICS is local, even of the sporting kind; and Pádraig Harrington has written to Pat Hickey, the president of the European Olympic Committee, urging him to back the bid to get golf included in the Olympic Games from 2016. "I am proud to be Irish and would love to represent my country should golf be added to the programme for the 2016 Olympic Games and beyond," wrote Harrington.
His words have not fallen on deaf ears.
In fact, Hickey – a member of both Westmanstown and Druids Glen – is very enthusiastic about getting golf into the Olympics. And, as the sole Irish member of the International Olympic Committee, Hickey holds a vote in the final voting in Copenhagen in October, subject to golf being one of two sports put forward for selection by the IOC Executive Board in August.
Golf, rugby sevens, baseball, softball, roller-sports, squash and karate are the seven sports who have made presentations to the IOC executive for inclusion. Only two will succeed, with the executive making their choices known in August followed in October by the all-important final vote.
“I believe golf has an excellent chance (for inclusion) and I’ve been lobbying the president (of the IOC) and the executive board for its inclusion,” said Hickey. “I don’t think golf has missed out by not being a part of the Olympics (up to now), but it would add a great dimension (for golf) to be involved in the Olympics, especially for the sport at grassroots level . . . and it would be great for Ireland, because it is a sport we have a fantastic chance to contend in and possibly win medals.”
As of now, Ireland has three players – Harrington (11th), Rory McIlroy (18th) and Graeme McDowell (48th) – in the world’s top-50.
The International Golf Federation recently made its final pitch to the IOC’s executive board in Lausanne when the RA’s Peter Dawson, the US PGA Tour’s commissioner Tim Finchem, Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie and former women’s world number one Annika Sorenstam, from Sweden, fronted the presentation.
“Where golf has got it right, as far as I am concerned, is that they have got the backing from the sport’s best players in their attempt to get into the Olympics,” said Hickey.
Indeed, the IGF – formed from all of golf’s main governing bodies in a concerted attempt to get golf back into the Olympics, having last been part of the movement in 1904 – has got the backing of players from world number one Tiger Woods down, with Harrington’s approaches to Hickey indicative of that support.
Golf’s administrators have assured the IOC that there would be no clash of dates with the four majors should golf gain inclusion and also guaranteed the top 15 players on the men’s and women’s world rankings would participate.
The IGF has proposed a format of a 72-hole individual strokeplay competition for men and women, reflecting the opinions of leading players that this is the fairest and best way to identify a champion. It mirrors the format used in the four major championships. In the case of a tie for either first, second or third place, a three-hole play-off is recommended to determine the medal winners.
In its final proposal, which Hickey claimed was “excellent”, the IGF recommended a field of 60 players for each of the men’s and women’s competition, utilising the official world golf rankings to determine eligibility. The top 15 world-ranked players would be eligible regardless of the number of players from a given country. Beyond the top 15, players would be eligible based on world ranking, with a maximum of two players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15. Under this proposal, at least 30 countries would be represented in both the men’s and women’s competitions, from all continents.
Hickey believes another factor in golf’s favour in getting one of the two spots for inclusion in 2016 is that all of the bidding cities have championship courses available. “That’s a great advantage because there is no (additional) infrastructure involved,” said Hickey.
The bidding cities for the 2016 Games are Chicago, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid. A decision on which city gets to host the Games will also be made in October.
In his personal letter, Harrington also made the point that “golf is unified in its desire to become a part of the Olympics, and I am excited at the prospect of potentially competing.”
Harrington was one of 18 players to canvass their respective IOC representatives, along with Karrie Webb (Australia); Mike Weir (Canada); Camilo Villegas (Colombia); Vijay Singh (Fiji); Gwladys Nocera (France); Bernhard Langer (Germany); Colin Montgomerie (Britain); Jeev Milkha Singh (India); Ai Miyazato, (Japan); KJ Choi (South Korea); Lorena Ochoa (Mexico); Suzann Pettersen (Norway); Ernie Els (South Africa); Sergio Garcia (Spain); Annika Sorenstam (Sweden); Yani Tseng (Chinese Taipei) and Tiger Woods (United States).
“We certainly appreciate the effort and support of these great players on behalf of golf’s Olympic bid,” said Ty Votaw, executive director of the IGF Olympic Golf Committee. “We obviously believe there is a very compelling case as to why golf should be reinstated as an Olympic sport, and a large reason for that is the support from top players.”
