ATR First - Golf Federation Plans Olympic Strategy

(ATR) Augusta National Golf Club provided the perfect setting as International Golf Federation leaders convened with members from its seven delivery partners to plot its strategic roadmap for Tokyo 2020 and beyond.

Golf federation executive director Antony Scanlon tells Around the Rings that like the Olympic Games, the annual Masters Tournament in Augusta showcases textbook branding and exemplary delivery.

"It epitomizes an event on how it understands its customers and clients," Scanlon told ATR. "It provides exactly what the players need as far as conditions and support off the course and the same for the patrons who have a wonderful experience around the course with great viewing positions, free access to stands and reasonably priced good food.

"If you look at its history, which other event other than the IOC has a quality sporting brand that is so well known – I can’t think of any other," he said.

Scanlon said the prestigious major championship offers the ideal location and amenities to conduct meetings with IGF’s strategic partners – the PGA Tour, LPGA, R&A, USGA, PGA of America, European Tour and Augusta National.

"Augusta National invites all of the amateur federations and tours and they provide us a house to meet, so we had our traditional board meeting as did a number of the other tours and federations," Scanlon said. "It’s a great forum for golf to meet and discuss things.

"It is very inclusive and that’s why golf feels very proud and part of the Olympic Games and Olympic movement."

Olympic golf was among 28 core sports extended through Paris 2024 by the IOC executive board in June 2017.

"Having put Rio behind us, we discussed Tokyo and that’s coming along really well – the course is looking great and the enthusiasm from the players is fantastic."

The Australian Olympic golf executive said the IGF evaluated its mission, values and vision for the future, although no major changes are expected.

"Looking beyond 2020, we’re starting to think about Paris and potentially L.A.," Scanlon noted. "A lot of the discussion was just about our role strategically moving forward and how the delivery partners are supporting us.

"It’s still early days – we’re evaluating our current strategic plan through 2020 and looking at mission, values and vision beyond.

Scanlon noted the golf federation’s core values are unlikely to change, although its vision could be slightly modified.

"The framework is taking our current plan and getting feedback from all of the key stakeholders."

Scanlon advised that the IGF will continue discussions during its next meeting at the 147th Open Championship in Carnoustie, Scotland in July.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Tournament

Scanlon expanded upon both the format and qualification criteria for Tokyo 2020, ratified by the IOC executive board at the 2017 session in Lima.

The system is unchanged from Rio 2016, with 60 men and 60 women teeing off in separate 72-hole stroke play tournaments to determine the medals. A country can qualify up to four golfers provided all of them are among the top 15 in the IGF world rankings. Otherwise, the number is two.

"I think what we had in Rio worked perfectly – we had a good balance in the number of top players and diversity and membership," Scanlon said. "Of the 120 men and women players, I think we had 44 countries represented.

"In Tokyo – we’re going to our second biggest market – we’ll get a big boost from the Tokyo Olympics and that we’ll take us to another great place to host golf in Paris."

The Paris 2024 Olympic course will host the largest international event in its history as the 2018 Ryder Cup will be contested on the greens and fairways at Le Golf National in late September.

The next IGF inspection visit to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic golf venue – the exclusive Kasumigaseki Country Club – will follow the meeting in Carnoustie.

"Not too many concerns having a golf course already built which is great compared to Rio," he said.

Kasumigaseki’s East Course – where the Olympic tournament will be played – dates to 1929. However, Tom and Logan Fazio completed renovations in 2017 which lengthened the venerable course from 6,970 to 7,466 yards.

"We’re seeing a lot of player interest to come to Japan so we’re putting in place the same structure in Rio with the athletes commission and various liaisons from the different tours to answer questions about the Olympics."

"We’ll start monthly calls once the rankings system starts in June and continue to be in touch with the players that way."

Olympians Excel at Masters

Rio 2016 Olympian Patrick Reed won the Masters green jacket, ahead of his fellow U.S. Olympians Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson, who respectively finished second and tied for fifth.

"We had the excitement of the local boy winning who is an Olympian which is pretty cool for us and the runner-up Rickie Fowler is an Olympian as well so that was great," Scanlon said of the dramatic 2018 Masters Tournament.

The Rio 2016 Olympic medalists Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Matt Kucher also fared well. The Olympic champion Rose played consistently, finishing tied for 12th, while silver medalist Stenson was in contention for victory on Sunday, ending tied for fifth. Rio bronze medalist Matt Kuchar got off to a fast start firing an opening round 68 before fading over the final rounds.

Written and reported by Brian Pinelli

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