Even though he'd telegraphed this for some time and made clear he thinks the 2016 summer schedule stinks (it does), Adam Scott stuck to his position and declared himself a no-go for Rio. I explained to George Savaricus on Golf Central that we shouldn't be shocked by the news, though I do think Scott will ultimately be disappointed he didn't play because of the course quality, the potential for golf to have a great start in a Rio Games that has no other new standout sport, and in a field where he has a great chance to medal.
Reaction from golf luminaries and Aussies was not quite so understanding.
Jack Nicklaus called it "sad for the Olympics and for the game of golf," reports Dave Shedloski for GolfDigest.com.
Johnny Miller could sympathize with Scott--shoot he doesn't want to go to Rio either--but he felt the Aussie needed to grin and bear it. Rob Oller reporting for the Columbus Dispatch.
“Do I want to go all the way down to Rio for the Olympics? No, but yes,” Miller said. “I know it’s important for golf, and my job is to build up the tournament, to build up the players when they deserve it and to build up the growth of the game. So I have a big responsibility that week to make people who wouldn’t normally watch golf say, ‘Dang, this is a pretty cool sport.’ ”
Down Under, two Australian Olympians were not impressed, reports Nick Martin.
Dawn Fraser, one of the great female swimmers of the 20th century, took to Facebook to voice her displeasure with Scott’s recent announcement. The a 78-year old Olympic medalist — she is one of only three swimmers in the Games’ history to three-peat in a single event — and self-described “proud Australian” lambasted the golfer for opting out of the 2016 games, insinuating greed drove Scott’s decision to pass on Rio.
“well done Adam great to put your country on hold so that you can fulfill your own schedule
how much money do you want in life
not showing much for your country
I guess working 3 jobs a week to secure my place as a Olympic swimmer has giver me the strength to say what I feel about sporstmen and women that do this”
In his defense, the schedule of two majors and the Olympics in a five-week stretch is absurd. This was started by the PGA's commitment to Baltusrol long before golf even thought it was going to get in the Games.
However, the PGA also probably should have been moved to early fall, after the Games and U.S. Open tennis in Flushing Meadows. However, that would have required the PGA of America and CBS to figure out a way to work around fare more lucrative college and pro football schedules, or, for the network to have not televised the PGA in 2016, allowing for a date change. But, grow-the-game efforts only mean something up to a point, and this was not one of them. So even if you don't agree with Adam, remember that the schedule mess could have been resolved if some were willing to make concessions in the name of a rare, one-off, bizarre situation superceded by the apparently vitality to "grow the game."
The parties controlling the most meddlesome of the championship dates did not feel the need and therefore some players will be unwilling to make scheduling concessions.
Longtime readers know about Egan, the actual architect of Pebble Beach as we know it who, for mysterious reasons, is ignored by historians who apparently aren't as enchanted with his story as they are with the Neville/Grant/amateurs-make-good story. But Egan's life in golf was pretty impressive: Harvard man, Olympic medalist, U.S. Amateur champion, NCAA individual champion (and three time team winner), golf architect, beloved friend of Bobby Jones, etc.
