The news that golf is to be included in the 2016 Olympic schedule is a good development for American sport. It is an exaggeration to say the US needs all the help it can get, but being beaten into second place in the medal table at Beijing, for the first time in 16 years, came as a shock.
China’s rapid sporting improvement is sure to be maintained, although the benefit of home advantage always helps the host nation improve their haul. It might be sometime before USA again tops a games medal table, but the inclusion of golf will help.
However, American golf medals are not guaranteed at Rio. Gold would almost certainly head their way in the men’s event if it was purely a team affair – the US are the Ryder Cup holders and have beaten the rest of the world in six of the last eight Presidents Cups – but it is scheduled to be an individual tournament.
This would still favour USA. Tiger Woods would lead a strong team of seven in a 60-man field that is made up of the top 15-ranked players and the next 45 players in the rankings with a maximum of two players from any nation.
The tournament is planned to be a standard four-round, 72-hole affair, which leaves open the possibility of surprise medal winners. The US team will still expect representation on the medal podium, certainly more than China will.
South Korea might be the happiest nation – they have five of the top 15-ranked women and can be surer of medals, as a 40-year old Woods might not prioritise the event.
Original Story:
http://www.sportsloungeblog.com/2009/...
China’s rapid sporting improvement is sure to be maintained, although the benefit of home advantage always helps the host nation improve their haul. It might be sometime before USA again tops a games medal table, but the inclusion of golf will help.
However, American golf medals are not guaranteed at Rio. Gold would almost certainly head their way in the men’s event if it was purely a team affair – the US are the Ryder Cup holders and have beaten the rest of the world in six of the last eight Presidents Cups – but it is scheduled to be an individual tournament.
This would still favour USA. Tiger Woods would lead a strong team of seven in a 60-man field that is made up of the top 15-ranked players and the next 45 players in the rankings with a maximum of two players from any nation.
The tournament is planned to be a standard four-round, 72-hole affair, which leaves open the possibility of surprise medal winners. The US team will still expect representation on the medal podium, certainly more than China will.
South Korea might be the happiest nation – they have five of the top 15-ranked women and can be surer of medals, as a 40-year old Woods might not prioritise the event.
Original Story:
http://www.sportsloungeblog.com/2009/...
