The World's Golfers Embracing The Olympics, Will America?

The rest of the world seems pretty excited about Olympic golf--thrilled in some cases like Wozilroy (as Derek Evers explains with an eye-opening quote from Graeme McDowell about Rory's struggles.

But Americans still seem averse to getting excited about 2016. Maybe this GolfDigest.com slideshow of past Olympic golf will get folks in the mood. Or maybe not.

Perhaps it's the format, perhaps it's the amount of time between now and then, or maybe they just haven't experienced the brilliance that is the Olympics. And now, there will be an added twist to get Americans excited: NBC's promotional efforts.

Open Championship Not Expected To Have Significantly Different 2016 Date

Nick Rodger talks to R&A head honcho Peter Dawson about the 2016 Open Championship announcement involving Troon, and gets some clarification on the likely date during the Olympic year.

"The condition was pledged that no major golf event – men's or women's – would clash with the Olympic Games in 2016," explained Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the Royal & Ancient. "That will be the case. Just exactly how the schedule will pan out to make that happen is still under discussion. The Open will definitely take place before the Olympics, as it normally would be.

"The question is, with the juggling that has to go on in August to keep the pledge, does that have a knock-on effect? We're still in discussion. It will definitely be in July but it might be a week earlier."

"There are Nationwide Tour guys who can't do that with two good legs and plus-handicap."

David Uchiyama with the story of Jordan Thomas, one amazing sounding person who also happens to be a golfer. He lost the lower half of his legs in a boating accident.

Thomas used a driver, then a 7-iron and two-putted for par on the hole, which plays 495 yards from those tees.

Only about 5 percent -- maybe less -- of the golfers in this country could accomplish that feat with those clubs. Even fewer could do it with Thomas' handicap. He lost his legs below the knees in a boating accident almost seven years ago.

"It's amazing, really," said Bear Trace assistant professional Heath Pendergraft. "I can't imagine having prosthetics and being able to transfer weight and being able to move the right side through the ball.

"There are Nationwide Tour guys who can't do that with two good legs and plus-handicap."

Thomas has aspirations of making the 2016 Paralympics Games in Rio.

Assuming he can find time for golf this summer while doing work for his foundation.

"I'm going on a road trip to California; then I'm going to Costa Rica for three weeks for an international business school trip. I'm going to Iceland to see a friend, then Germany to see a friend," Thomas said. "Then I'm off to Nepal to hopefully open up a prosthetics lab in Katmandu."

Update on 2012-05-24 05:01 by Geoff

**Jordan was nominated for CNN's Heroes:

AP: Rio Has No Contract With 2016 Golf Course Land Owner

AP's Tales Azzoni reports that a court has ordered the city of Rio de Janeiro to hand over the contracts it has with the landowner of the 2016 Olympic golf course property. City officials responded by saying that no such documents existed.

The city said it hasn't signed any contracts for the golf course because it will be a private undertaking. It had publicly announced earlier this year, however, that it made an agreement with the land owner to have the course built on it. It said it would alter some of the building requirements in the area and, in exchange, the land owner and a construction company would pay for the $30 million course.

"The golf course is an undertaking exclusively private, which will be developed by the Rio 2016 Committee," the mayor's office said in a statement.

Local Olympic organizers said they expect the contracts for the golf course to be finalized by the end of June, and that the city wouldn't be directly involved even though it was responsible for choosing the land and facilitating the agreement.

And this...

But the lawyer for the company disputing the ownership of the land, Elmway Participacoes, said Friday he wants to suspend any activity in the land until a decision on the property is made. Sergio Antunes Lima Jr. said the city doesn't have the right to make any deals to build on the land before a judge decides who owns it.

“Rio 2016 is not aware of any changes to the ownership of the land"

AroundTheRings.com follows up with Rio 2016 spokesman Carlos Villanova who doesn't seem to feel anything has changed with the golf course property selected for the first Olympic golf course.

“Rio 2016 is not aware of any changes to the ownership of the land where the City Hall intends to build the golf course,” Villanova said in an email to Around the Rings.

“We fully trust that City Hall will meet the deadlines for the planning, construction, and operation of the course.”

AP reported last Friday about a land ownership dispute that threatens the course's creation and construction.

The Olympic Golf Impact, Russian Edition

An unbylined Russian Television story pretty much lays out the scenario that International Golf Federation organizers and Olympic golf boosters predicted about including the game as part of the Olympics. Namely, the push to develop players in places that traditionally have not funded or paid attention to golf. Like Russia.

One of the main prospects is Vladimir Osipov. He is just 16, and would turn 21 at the Rio Olympics.

The Games will see the return of golf, after just two appearances, early in the 20th century. But to make an Olympic dream come true, players need to dig deep.

“Of course I want to go to the Olympics,” he said. “But, to give myself a chance, I need to be high up in the world rankings. So I'll have to turn pro soon and start racking up ranking points, and improve my game.”

For this season, the youngster is setting his sights on the European Amateur Team Championships in Portugal in September, and then probably the World event.

The Russian national side are fresh from a training camp in America and local trainers praised their progress as a unit.

But the sport's officials are after strong performances, not just words of approval.

“To go to the Rio Olympics, golfers will need to rocket up the world rankings,” Nikolay Afanasiev from Russia’s Golf Association said.