Video: Golf.com's Debut Film On Golf And Life In Rio

Golf.com is getting into the short documentary world and debuts with a film on golf and life in Rio called, "A Beautiful Game."

Part of the pitch:

Brazil does not have deep golfing roots, but it does have Breno Domingos, a 19-year-old from the humble village of Japeri who has overcome long odds to ascend to the top of Brazil’s amateur ranks. The film tells the tale of Breno’s unlikely rise while also exploring the rest of Brazil’s golfing landscape.

Ritter also files this accompanying story. The film is about 17 minutes...

Nice: Chandler Egan's 1904 Olympic Medals Found, On Display

Nice work by Dave Shedloski to tell the story of Chandler Egan's medals having been found by his family and handed over to the USGA for display in Far Hills and the U.S. Open, before moving on to the World Golf Hall of Fame.

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.

Shedloski writes at GolfDigest.com:

Until a year ago historians believed that none of the individual medals from the golf competition in the 1904 Olympics at Glen Echo Country Club in St. Louis still existed. That changed when the silver medal of H. Chandler Egan, former U.S. Amateur champion, was discovered (along with his team gold medal) in the bottom of a bookcase in the former home of Egan’s daughter in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, about 25 miles southeast of Cleveland.

Li's China Open Victory A Win For HSBC's Grassroots Support

While the Volvo China Open didn't sport the greatest field in the tour's history, a tip of the cap to HSBC for getting to see the first European Tour winner from its CGA-HSBC China Junior Program, the only sanctioned program for aspiring players in the country currently hostile to the game.

"Grow the game" has become a tired and obnoxious phrase wheeled out way too often in the name of trying to justify greed or pandering, but when the results are tangible like this, I say let 'em pat themselves on the back. Especially after Haotong Li contended at last fall's WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai and looks to be headed toward big things.
 
From Giles Morgan, HSBC's man in golf:

“Haotong Li’s win clearly demonstrates just how far golf in China has come over the last decade and what an exciting future the game has. It’s an incredible story of human ambition and shows exactly why HSBC supports golf and why our junior programs are so important to our sponsorships around the world. A win for any golfer in their home nation is inspiring but for this to happen in China for a 20 year old is really special.”
 
“For HSBC he is proudly one of our own. Haotong was first inspired into the game as a youngster by attending our tournament, HSBC Champions in Sheshan and now he has the potential to inspire a new generation. He graduated through the ranks of the CGA-HSBC Junior Golf Program, a development program we started nine years ago with the ambition of supporting future champions. Today we have realised that ambition. We saw glimpses of his potential at WGC-HSBC Champions last year and now he’s advanced into the winner’s circle and we’re delighted for him. For Li and golf in China this is only the start. The CGA-HSBC Junior Golf Program offers a proven pathway to the very top of the game and I’ve no doubt with this victory many more will be inspired to make that journey.”

As Will Gray notes at GolfChannel.com, with this win Li likely vaults into the top place for one of China's male Olympic golf exemptions.

Nice setup:

A star in the making 🌟 #VolvoChinaOpen

A video posted by European Tour (@europeantour) on May 1, 2016 at 10:30am PDT

Congratulations Haotong Li! The 20 year old won his first European Tour title in style thanks to an 8 under par final round 64 at the #VolvoChinaOpen. 🏆🇨🇳

A photo posted by European Tour (@europeantour) on May 1, 2016 at 1:43am PDT

Full highlights from his win:

Golf Boosting U.S. Olympic-Related Ad Spending By 10%?

Paresh Dave and Steve Battaglio of the LA Times detail some particulars of the NBC-Snapchat partnership announced for the 2016 Rio Olympic games.

Deep in the story there was this interesting factoid that suggests golf is having an impact on the bottom line. Oh, and rugby too, I guess:

NBC already has topped $1 billion in ad sales for this year's Olympics, a mark it passed only just before the opening ceremony in 2012. The rights to broadcast from Rio de Janeiro cost NBC an estimated $1.2 billion.

The Olympics are expected to boost overall spending on U.S. television ads by $703 million in 2016, or about 10% more than the games did in 2012, according to ad research firm Magna Global. The firm attributed the increase to the addition of two sports (golf and rugby) to the games this year.

Baker-Finch: Olympics Needs Team Format ASAP

Some of us don't want to say I told you so, but it's fascinating to hear a narrative brewing from those dealing with the players who are passing on the Olympics: Zika virus and the format.

As I noted on ShackHouse this week, a very solid source has told me that the South Africans are passing largely because of concerns about the Zika virus and their desires to have children free of birth defects, but I didn't get to mention in the show, it was also pointed out that the format does not force players into a team situation.

AAP talked to Ian Baker-Finch who all but backed this up with his "team" Australia member Adam Scott.

"I don't think people realise that Adam is not letting anyone down. It's his decision and he's entitled to make it. I am disappointed he won't be with us but I totally understand his position."

Baker-Finch has passed on his thoughts to the International Golf Federation.

While Gary Player and others fear the pullouts will affect the vote to keep the sport in the Games past 2020, Baker-Finch hopes it will just make them heed format change calls.

"I think it will make them think about making it a team competition. I'd even love to see it as a mixed team even - that would be awesome."

I don't know the feasibility of mixed, but it's fascinating as a longtime format hater to see so many no only coming around to a team element, but actually suggesting that such a format forces players to show up compared to an individual stroke play tournament.

Also, there is the radar issue for players: this is a first year event. Granted, as Baker-Finch pointed out last weekend it's also the world's oldest sports gathering, but Jason Day explained why that doesn't mean much to golfers. Ryan Lavner reports.

Schwartzel Passing On Rio Too, Another Crisis Averted

Charl Schwartzel is telling South African Olympic team captain Gary Player he can take his Olympic dreams and live them out through someone else, joining fellow countryman Louis Oosthuizen in announcing on the eve of more rigorous drug testing that he's skipping the Rio games. His reasons, if you care, were not clear.

Gary Player was not pleased, reports AFP:

"I would have given anything to play in the Olympics. South Africa had a great team, but now obviously, it will not be as good."

Yes, but I'm not sure golf could survive another rally-killing major win by the South African. One was enough.