Spieth Joins Rio Exodus as Olympic Field Confirmed

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

AND so, finally, it happened. On the day that the Olympic Games golf rankings were finalised, Jordan Spieth announced that he would be joining Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and a host of other world-class players by announcing that he did not wish to be considered for selection.

It is a hammer blow for the sport, which is suffering a worrying decline in participation around the world. A fabulous new golf course has been built in Rio specifically for the Olympic golf tournament, but instead of looking forward to seeing McIlroy, Spieth, Johnson and Day going head to head for a gold medal, we will now be watching the likes of Nino Bertasio, Angelo Que, Gavin Kyle Green and Ryan Fox.

Those who have withdrawn have cited two specific reasons for doing so - fear of being infected by the Zika virus and the fact that the Games didn't fit in with their schedules. While it is understandable that young men in the prime of their lives would want to avoid putting their health at risk, those who are giving it a miss because of "scheduling issues" should be ashamed of themselves. This was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the game of golf in front of a global TV audience of billions - and, heaven knows, the sport needs all the help it can get as participation numbers tumble and golf courses close their doors.

Would it really have been asking too much for them to give up a week of their lives and put on a show on behalf of their sport? Apparently.

Golf is also included in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo but after this mass boycott, we have to ask if it deserves a second chance.

Former R&A chief executive and secretary Peter Dawson, who is now president of International Golf Federation and responsible for ensuring the Olympic golf tournament goes ahead, tried to put on a brave face.

“What I'm hoping is that when we come to play in Tokyo in 2020 that the top players do support Olympic golf," he said. "I think it's very important that they do. It's the biggest grow-the-game opportunity available and I can't think of a better way for players to give back to the game, frankly, than to support Olympic golf.”

Although golf will feature in Tokyo, every Olympic sport will be reviewed in 2017, with television and media coverage an important consideration for the IOC, so the chances of the game being included in 2024 would appear to be pretty slim.

Ty Votaw, the vice-president of the IGF, said: "At the end of the day what will ultimately be our best case for any discussion on any level will be the competitions themselves. I think that once we understand how those play out in front of a worldwide audience for television, a digital audience, an enthusiastic on-site audience, those are the things that we're going to be focused on.”

McIlroy admitted recently that major championships remained the “pinnacle” of the game ahead of an Olympic gold medal, but Dawson feels it does not have to be an either/or situation.

"They play most weeks of the year not at major championships, so they're not exclusively playing in majors," the former R&A chief executive added.

“I just don't think it actually matters at this point whether they regard it as much as a major or not, frankly. It doesn't stop them going to play. I do think this is more about the health issues than anything else.”

France's Victor Dubuisson and Korea's KT Kim also withdrew at the 12th hour, but at least Dubuisson was honest enough to say that he didn't want to go because he is playing so poorly and has given his place to Julien Quesne.

So, who will be playing in Rio? Despite all the withdrawals, some great players will be taking part at at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course from August 11-14. 

For America, there will be Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar, Great Britain will be represented by Justin Rose Danny Willett, Ireland by Padraig Harrington and Seamus Power, Spain by Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera-Bello, France by Gregory Bourdy and Quesne. Sweden could be team to watch out for, represented by Henrik Stenson and David Lingmerth.

Dawson did his best to talk up the 60-strong men's field (the women's tournament also comprises 60 players, with not a single leading woman withdrawing).  “After eight years of intense planning and preparation for golf’s historic return to the Olympic Games, the IGF is extremely excited finally to have reached this important milestone of identifying those players who are eligible to compete in Rio de Janeiro," Dawson said.

“We are particularly gratified to see how many countries are represented among the men and women and anticipate compelling competitions for both. It has taken a tremendous amount of work by a number of people to get to this stage, and we at the IGF are extremely grateful for the role each and every one of them has played in making this possible.”

Qualification began on July 14, 2014 and concluded at the Scottish Open and US Women's Open.