DVR Alert: In Play W/Jimmy Roberts Goes To Rio!

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Sounds so, so fun doesn't it? As in, maybe we'll see Jimmy Roberts playing beach volleyball on Copacabana Beach in a Speedo? But I'm sad to say, it really isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially if you've seen the "progress" the country is making toward the 2016 Olympic Games.

The season two premiere of In Play kicks by unveiling the many months of footage compiled by producer Matt Miller, Paul Berner and Neil Munroe, including the first ever public showing of the architect selection presentation.  You'll also see me briefly mentioning what a fiasco the whole thing Rio is. Anything to bring levity to the show!

The show also features a segment with Jimmie Johnson, who apparently won the Daytona 500 yesterday in the eyes of some at Fox.

Boy, Jimmy knows how land the big "gets" at just the right time.

Video: Gil Hanse Talks Rio Olympic Design Issues

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Here is my update on the Olympic golf course project in Rio, and now you can hear from Gil Hanse and see some great aerial views of the site under construction in this CNN International interview with Shane O'Donohue.

You can see a larger version here, or watch the embed below:

The story is followed by an O'Donoghue report on golf in Latin America where he tried to get on the Olympic site but was unable to, so they went aerial.

Not: This Week's World Cup As Olympic Golf Preview

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Dennis Pasa says this week's World Cup at Royal Melbourne offers a "glimpse of what to expect when golf returns to the Olympics at Rio de Janeiro in 2016." Until it doesn't. Which Pasa points out.

First, there is the Britain/Ireland mess in 2016 that the PGA Tour's common sense deals with. Take note IOC and friends.

At the Olympics, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland compete as Britain. But at the World Cup, England, Scotland and Wales will compete as separate countries. To muddy the waters a bit more at the World Cup, the tradition is for Ireland and Northern Ireland to compete as Ireland. McIlroy is not competing at Royal Melbourne this week, and is confident he still retains the selection choice for the Olympics.

As for the format...it's almost Olympic-like.

Players in the top 15 on the Official World Golf Ranking gain access to the World Cup, with the exception that there will be no more than four players for any country.

After the top 15, up to two players are allowed per country until the field of about 60 is filled.

It's still largely an individual event even though the old World Cup was more about the team. I say, we'll live. We get another week of great players at Royal Melbourne and the Olympic format is a lost cause anyway! 

You can follow the action online here at the PGA Tour's World Cup page. In the USA, coverage starts Wednesday night on Golf Channel at 9 pm ET.

Tokyo Lands 2020 Olympics, Kasumigaseki To Host?

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USA Today's Kelly Whiteside with the news from Buenos Aires, where Tokyo landed the 2020 Olympic Games beating out Istanbul and Madrid.

The Wakasu links was the course nominated to be the host golf according to Wikipedia, but the Tokyo bid committee's website (acting up from massive hits when I tried to access) apparently says the masterful C.H. Alison-redesigned Kasumigaseki's East Course will be host. (Former NBC Olympic producer Molly Solomon also tweeted this.)

Here is the club's English history.

PGA 99% Sure To Be Playing 2016 Championship In Late July

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Sounds like the schedule for 2016 working around the Rio Olympic Games is shaping up, as Bloomberg's Michael Buteau reports that the PGA of America is comfortable with moving the Baltusrol PGA to late July, before the Aug 5-21 games.

A schedule change could benefit the PGA Championship at the Springfield, New Jersey, course, which also hosted the 2005 PGA Championship, won by Phil Mickelson, Bevacqua said.

“It’s a better time to host a major championship,” he said. “More people are around and in the swing of things. Less people are on their summer vacations. We think it’s actually going to work out to our advantage.”

We also will know soon which city will be creating headaches for the IGF as the 2020 Olympic Games final bribes are due with announcement set for this week. Tokyo, Istanbul and Madrid are the pulse stunting finalists, with Madrid reportedly pullling away down the stretch.