Olympic Golf Has Been Better Than Many Expected

Golf’s return to the Olympics had its doubters, but it has comfortably exceeded all expectations.

For several months leading up to Olympic golf in Rio, many of the biggest stars in men’s golf dropped out due to health concerns.

These names included Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth among others. However, there were still plenty of high profile players who ultimately made the trip to the Gil Hanse course for golf’s first Olympic appearance in 112 years. Team USA alone had no shortage of big names, including Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler.

Despite Marcus Fraser’s 63 on the first day and stellar play from many others in the field, some still felt that the golf was stale early on. However, the weekend turned into a great battle between two major champions. The duel between Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson was a classic in golf’s return to the games.

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It was a title fight between one of golf’s best ball strikers in Rose, the long-hitting Stenson, who had just come off the back of a historic win against Phil Mickelson at The Open Championship in July.

One of the most consistent players on tour, Matt Kuchar earned a bronze medal in the tournament, in arguably the biggest highlight of his quietly impressive career so far. Kuchar put on a remarkable performance on Sunday, going eight-under-par to earn his medal.

In spite of being one of golf’s best in scoring average, Kuchar has yet to win a major championship. This will have felt special for him though. Certainly, getting a medal in the Olympics after golf has been absent for 112 years should feel like a major victory.

Not only were we treated to a great finish for the men, but we still get to watch the ladies. Many of the LPGA Tour’s top stars are in Rio including Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson, and through the first two days of the women’s event, play has been just as exciting and competitive.

But the men have already left an impression on the Olympics despite what many will say. Not only that, but they seem to have changed the perception of some of the sceptics. Jordan Spieth mentioned on Twitter that he will make his way to Japan in 2020.

I believe we will see golf’s biggest stars at the Games in Japan. Plus, in four years, who knows what other young golfers will have risen to stardom.

So the strong field will just get even stronger. After the performances from Rose, Stenson and Kuchar, you can expect historic play in Japan as well.

Overall, golf overcame the odds, even if it wasn’t what many people wanted. Who knows, what, if any, lasting impression this event at the Games will have had on the people of Brazil by the time 2020 rolls around and it’s Japan’s turn to play host. The legacy of golf in Rio and Gil Hanse’s course will only become clear in time.

But, we will still remember the historic moments that occurred, and how excited Rose, Stenson and Kuchar were to get their medals. We may also be benefitting from all of the people who watched having never seen anyone swing a golf club before in their lives, including young kids.

No matter what we may think, whether positive or negative, golf’s return to the Olympic Games had a textbook finish, and could have an impact in the future.

Next: Olympic Golf: TV Ratings Prove Tournament’s Success

Even better, we aren’t even done yet. Let’s hope the ladies put on a show at the weekend.

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