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Not the biggest fan of pro athletes in Olympics

By Mike Dudurich for The 4 min read
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I’ve never been a fan of professional athletes representing our country in the Olympics.

And yes, I know that’s exactly what other countries do. Russian hockey players, Chinese gymnasts, European basketball players and many others are employed as athletes.

But to me that goes against the spirit of the Olympics. While watching Sidney Crosby score that overtime goal to beat the United States was an awesome experience and seeing Michael Jordan and the Dream Team destroy other nations’ best was cool.

But that’s not what the Olympic spirit was/is about.

And now, with golf returning to the Olympics in 2016, it will also be a professional invitational.

The best players in the game from countries across the world will gather in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and will compete in a 72-hole stroke play event.

And, after all of the excitement accompanying the return of golf had faded a bit, I’m noticing there are some others are having opinions similar to mine.

Boo Weekley said recently that amateurs should be teeing it up in the Olympics and not his fellow pros. And guess who agreed with him? The third-ranked player in the world, that’s who.

“People watch us (as pros) play 45 weeks a year,” Adam Scott said. “If you really wanted to grow the game, you’d have the Olympics for amateurs. Rio is not something I’ve thought a lot about, but it is something I have a desire to be part of. I’m not going to change my focus … it will be on the four majors.”

The point he makes is a good one. While golf fans enjoy watching their favorite players and the best in the world on a regular basis, why would they want to watch them compete in an event where nothing more is on the line except national pride?

Remember back in 2008 when golfers started griping about not getting paid to play in the Ryder Cup? Phil Mickelson, among others, objected to that. Hunter Mahan said the players were used like slaves during the Ryder Cup.

Keep in mind the Ryder Cup has developed into one of the great sporting events in our time and players weren’t satisfied with the financial arrangements. Does anyone really think these guys are going to get all fired up to play in the Olympics for nothing?

I don’t. There are a lot of athletes who will participate at the Summer Olympics who have been training since the last Olympics and competing in Brazil will be one of the great thrills in their lives.

I just don’t see that with the best professional golfers in the world. Their golf is compartmentalized very nicely each year. In order of importance, these guys peak for: the four majors, the World Golf Championship events and a couple invitationals like The Memorial and Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Invitational.

That’s just the way their internal clocks are wired and it would seem to be highly unlikely that we’ll see their best efforts in the Olympics.

They’ve all expressed the desire to play but I wonder if whoever gets chosen to represent the United States will feel the same after traveling all the way to South America, put up with searing heat and all the inconveniences of such a major event?

Maybe I’m just being too idealistic here. For me it just goes against the spirit of the Olympics.

I would much rather watch 1980s Miracle on Ice victory by the United States than watching professionals any day.

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Do you have an interesting story about your club or course or an individual who has done something special, let me know. Send your story ideas to mike.dudurich@gmail.com.

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