PGA dropped ball on Rio tournament, says Canadian golf commentator
Changes to playing format, season schedule should have been considered
Imagine world No. 1 golfers Jason Day and Lydia Ko teaming up in mixed play at the Rio Olympics. Or Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson paired up for an alternate shot showdown against fellow Americans Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler.
Perhaps a change in a format would have been more enticing for some of the sport's top players to compete in Brazil, which will host the first golf tourney at the Summer Games in 112 years from Aug. 11-14.
"The format of play easily could have been different," Michel Lacroix of RDS, who will provide golf commentary from Rio for CBC/Radio-Canada, told CBCSports.ca this week. "Many golfers have said it would have been more interesting to play a different format and others in the golf community said it would have given a different personality to the tournament."
Day has concerns about the mosquito-borne Zika virus and won't travel to Rio, while Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, bowed out due to a "busy playing schedule" around the Rio Olympics and other commitments.
Rory McIlroy, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell, Marc Leishman, Shane Lowry, Vijay Singh and Miguel Angel Jimenez are other PGA members who have announced they won't compete in Rio for various reasons.
The field of 60 players for each of the men's and women's tournaments will be released after qualifying ends July 11.
Earlier this week, South Africa's Lee-Anne Pace became the first women's professional golfer to withdraw from Rio, citing the Zika virus, even though Brazilian Olympic organizers told the International Olympic committee in early June that the risk of Zika infection will be dramatically reduced during the Games.
"I can understand their position," Lacroix said. "It's not in their mentality to think about the importance of an Olympic tournament. How would you compare a green jacket [for winning the Masters tournament] to a gold medal? It's really hard for golfers to figure out."
The absence of an Olympic tradition, noted Lacroix, could be one reason American golfers aren't interested in playing in Rio, while adding Sergio Garcia of Spain, Germany's Martin Kaymer and Sweden's Henrik Stenson appear excited.
"They would enjoy the global experience," said Lacroix, who has worked on site for Summer Games in Sydney, Australia in 2000, Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. "Jordan Spieth talked about being there with other athletes to learn the experience of the Olympic Village and the opening and closing ceremonies. There's something special about that but it's not enough for [some golfers]. It's sad."
Lacroix believes the PGA wanted golf at the Olympics but didn't want to trim its grueling schedule. The 2015-16 PGA season is comprised of 40-plus tournaments, including eight in the six weeks leading up to the Rio competition and seven events after the Games.
"It's as though [the PGA is saying] we want all of you to be [in Rio], but considering the agreements with our sponsors, you also have to play this, this and this tournament," said Lacroix. "You just can't ask that."