Olympics Accept Golf, Rugby

NFL News - October 9th, 2009 - Written by John

Good news, kids.

A South American city hosting the 2016 Games won't be the only Olympic milestone. After receiving a strong vote of support from some of the game's biggest stars, Golf has been admitted to return to the Olympics this week. News coming out of Copenhagen announced that Rugby, which hasn't been part of the games since 1924 will also be admitted.

In a vote with three total absentions, Rugby was a bigger vote to be admitted, but both passed with flying colors. Voters picked Rugby, 81-8, while Golf got a 63-27 vote.

It is the conclusion of an exhausting battle between the sports' leaders and the IOC, which garnered support from the likes of Tiger Woods and former Rugby star Jonah Lomu.

"There are millions of young golfers worldwide who would be proud to represent their country," Woods said in an interview with ESPN. "It would be an honor for anyone who plays this game to become an Olympian."

Woods has been on the wagon to get the games admitted, answering questions about the possibility in almost every tournament news conference this year. He routinely admitted he would like to see the games in and pledged that he would play in them if it were to happen. Padraig Harrington and Michelle Wie have also been part of the support group, making their pitches to the IOC months in advance. Wie told the committee, in part, "I can dream about doing something that neither Tiger nor Ernie (Els) have ever done, and that is to make the final putt to win an Olympic gold medal."

"I think it's fantastic, an unbelievable day for the game of golf," Golf Hall of Famer Jack Nicklaus said on ESPN. "The impact is going to be felt all over the world, which is what I've always felt about the game. The game is a mature game in many countries, but it never had the opportunity to grow in many others. People of all walks of life will be inspired to play the game of golf, and play for sports' highest recognition. For all sports, that has been a gold medal."

Lomu agreed.

"We were ecstatic and wanted to jump on the table, but we sort of restrained ourselves," the New Zealand native said. "It was just fantastic for the game."

It's a huge win for the two sports who have argued that their sports are recognized around the world, yet aren't allowed to be played on a true international stage. Golf received a helping of criticism throughout the voting process, as can be seen by the vote, largely because of questions about accessibility. There are still courses that don't allow women and impoverish countries simply don't offer it at all.

"There are some serious problems with some clubs where major events are held, in terms of discrimination," IOC member Anita DeFrantz said. "Avoid going down a road that may be harmful to our image."

Golf will be played in a typical tournament format that most fans are familiar with, but it could see a change in scheduling, said PGA Tour vice president Ty Votaw.

"It might be Wednesday to Saturday," he said. "Or it might be that the women's competition is first, and the men's is second.All of those things need to be worked out over the next seven years."

As he said, the sports will have plenty of time to figure out the details and market themselves to unfamiliar countries, something they've been doing for years. The IOC already rejected proposals by the both sports' leaders for the 2012. They have been left out of the Games since the early 1900s.

Golf was dropped in 1904 after appearing only twice, while Rugby got the boot in 1924. Pitches for their returns started swirling late last century and continued into August of this year, when official, detailed proposals were presented in August.

The executive board found a door open when the IOC decided to trim baseball and softball off their roster, leaving two vacant spots off the desired total of 28.

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