Golf Chief Upbeat Despite Stars Abandoning Rio Games

(ATR) International Golf Federation president Peter Dawson remains encouraged about the future of Olympic golf despite an exodus of elite golfers from Rio 2016, including the first woman to withdraw.

South African golfer Lee-Anne Pace, 35, notified the IGF on Wednesday that she will not be participating in Rio citing concerns over Zika. Pace joins three South African countrymen who will not be teeing off in Brazil.

World number one Jason Day opted out of the men’s tournament on June 28 as did Rory McIlroy last week, adding to a growing list of top names including Adam Scott, Shane Lowry, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen and Vijay Singh.

Dawson dismisses conjecture that aside from the mosquito-borne Zika virus there are underlying reasons for the withdrawal of more than 10 pros, including six major tournament champions.

"I do believe that the players have put much consideration into their decisions and that their concern over the Zika virus is sincere," Dawson told Around the Rings during a phone interview Wednesday morning. "I have no reason to believe otherwise."

"Some of our young players are in the process of starting families and with Zika, it’s just a unique situation," Dawson said.

Asked if golf’s return to the Olympic fold after more than a century is now tarnished considering the loss of marquee names such as Day and McIlroy, Dawson said he believes fans will still witness an inspirational and compelling tournament in Rio.

"It’s unfortunate that some players are not coming, but I’m very confident it will excite golf fans – we do have seven of the top 10 ranked players in the world still participating," said Dawson, also the longtime president of the R&A. "There’s still a few weeks to go, but hopefully that will remain."

"Don’t forget that when tennis made its Olympic debut in 1988, only two of the top ten ranked players were there," the Scottish golf executive noted. "With golf and the Olympics it might take some time as well."

Dawson noted that when pros were informally consulted regarding what the Olympic format should be as the IGF was proposing the sport’s return to the IOC, the overwhelming consensus was traditional, 72-hole stroke play. However, he said, tweaks and additions could be made for Tokyo 2020.

"We could see a dual gender team format like we tried at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing," Dawson said, referring to the sport’s initial inclusion at the multi-sport event for teen-aged athletes in August 2014.

Olympic golf is also on the program for Tokyo 2020, with a decision on its future status beyond then to be determined.

While the support for Olympic golf among some of the men pros has been questionable, Dawson said the women’s game is poised to thrive from Olympic inclusion.

"The ladies have been so supportive of Olympic golf right from the start, while some of the men’s tours had to be talked around," Dawson advised. "That strong support has continued and clearly the exposure that they will get from the Olympics is very meaningful for the women’s game."

Dawson says that the new Olympic course and venue in Barra da Tijuca is primed for competition and those working diligently with final preparations have remained Zika free.

"We’re very happy with the golf course, the design and the condition of it is superb," Dawson said. "Neil Cleverly and his team of greens keepers, none of whom appear to have contracted Zika by the way, have done a wonderful job down there.

"We have no worries about the golf course and we have a great team of people on the competition committee so I know they’re going to set up a good test for the players," he added.

The official fields of 60 men and 60 women for Rio will be set as Olympic qualification culminates on July 11, prior to the Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland.

The men’s Olympic tournament in Rio takes place Aug. 11-14, while the women follow, Aug. 17-20.

The game of golf – first played at the Olympic Games in 1900 and 1904 – was approved to return for Rio de Janeiro at the IOC session in Copenhagen in 2009.

"We have ten or twelve years work behind this and it’s all coming together in August," Dawson said. "I just want to see it all go well and set golf up for a long future in the Olympic family."

Written by Brian Pinelli

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