Golf to be an Olympic Sport in 2016
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Golf will be included in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 after winning a committee vote earlier today.
Both golf and rugby sevens had been recommended for inclusion by the International Olympic Committee exective board and that proposal was ratified today at a full meeting of the IOC Congress in Denmark today.
Golf was voted in with a verdict of 63 votes to 27, albeit significantly less than the 81-19 vote for rugby sevens.
The campaign to have golf included in the Olympics was backed by a host of international stars including Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Michelle Wie, Colin Montgomerie and Annika Sorenstam. Woods has already indicated that he would compete in Rio.
Prior to the vote, Harrington, Wie, Suzann Patterson and British Amateur Champion Matteo Mannassero joined R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson for a final presentation to the IOC.
The vote means that golf will be included not only in Brazil in 2016 but also in 2020 and, like tennis, will be open to professional players.
Dawson said: “We are extremely grateful that Padraig, Michelle, Suzann and Matteo were able to join us to help communicate the genuine interest world-class players of all ages share in golf becoming an Olympic sport.
“In addition to those golfers who will have an opportunity to compete as Olympic athletes, we are excited for the national golf federations that will reap the benefits from today’s decision in terms of growth and support within their countries.”
Golf last appeared in the Olympics in St Louis in 1904, with its only other outing coming in Paris four years earlier.
Golf beat sports such as softball, squash, baseball, karate and roller sports to inclusion in the games.
The competition will take the form of a 72-hole strokeplay event. The field will comprise of 60 players for each of the men’s and women’s competition, using the Official World Golf Rankings as a method of determining eligibility.
The top-15 world-ranked players would be eligible for the Olympics, regardless of the number of players from a given country. Beyond the top-15, players would be eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top-15.
