Tokyo "Focused On Hosting" Olympics But Reports Suggest Cancellation Looms

While much of golf seems focused on just the men’s and women’s majors played this year, do not forget the huge schedule sacrifices made in the name of Olympic golf. The PGA moved permanently to May and the prime month of July is built around Tokyo (again) this year.

But as AP’s Syephen Wade notes, a Times of London story citing government sources expecting cancellation of the games, the IOC is insisting otherwise. It sounds, at best, like a television-only event despite 80% of the country opposed to holding or postponing the Games (again). However, the story says the IOC derives 73% of its revenue from TV money and will be loathe to cancel.

Nice MBASpeak here too in a statement…delivery partners.

“All our delivery partners including the national government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the IOC and the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) are fully focused on hosting the games this summer,” the statement said.

“We hope that daily life can return to normal as soon as possible, and we will continue to make every effort to prepare for a safe and secure games.”

The men’s and women’s individual stroke play competitions are set for July 30-August 8th at Kasumigaseki Country Club.

International Golf Federation President Annika Sorenstam Has Some Explaining To Do

Much has been made of Justin Thomas regrettably invoking a homophobic slur at the 2021 Sentry TOC. Even more was made—almost embarrassingly so given world events—of Thomas’s plight after Ralph Lauren suspended their relationship with the star golfer late Friday.

“RLX” is the golf clothing component among Ralph Lauren’s family of brands. They have created a faux lifestyle via shrewd marketing. The private company pay models and even golfers to conjure up a perception and ideal life. Their goal is to move merchandise to a large audience. They have every right to end a deal if someone they pay puts them in a bad light.

Fans will decide what they think of him and cynics will question the passion of RLX in dropping him at 7 pm ET on a Friday night, the dumpiest of news dump hours. Given RLX’s advertising in the major golf publications, you won’t hear much criticism of their timid timing or wishy-washy language.

For his part, Thomas apologized and has likely wiped the term from his repertoire. There are plenty of other companies—Citi, Titleist, Footjoy, Netjets, Woodford Reserve, etc…—willing to stand by the world No. 3. He’s also assuredly paid a handsome PGA Tour fine for his language and will find a new clothier for this week’s European Tour stop in Abu Dhabi and beyond. He will make his next mortgage payment.

A far more complicated case golf and negative attention surrounds Annika Sorenstam.

The all-time golf great and ambassador of the women’s game recently was elected president of the International Golf Federation and is also one of four deciding votes for entry into the World Golf Hall of Fame (alongside Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Nancy Lopez).

The IGF is an amalgamated organization fronting all of golf’s major families—the R&A, USGA, Augusta National Golf Club, PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA Tour—to represent golf on the world stage and grow the game.

Just hours after January 6th’s insurrection and riots at the Capitol resulting in five deaths, Sorenstam went ahead with an appearance at the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from outgoing President Donald Trump. She is an admirer, golf partner and longtime supporter of Trump but was apparently unmoved to cancel on the 7th, unlike New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick a few days later. There has been widespread condemnation of Sorenstam and Player for accepting the medal.

Trump will award Presidential Medals of Freedom to golfers Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player today -- after Trump inspired a mob to ransack the capitol, leaving four dead. Principled Trump staffers resigning. Annika, Gary, what are you doing?

— Thomas L. Friedman (@tomfriedman) January 7, 2021

There are many more opinion pieces out there but I found this from Swedish writer Martin Hardenberger to be a powerful summation of Sorenstam’s decision making and responsibility to the game. The English translation:

And here, by distancing himself and the entire Gulf from Trump and what he stands for, they could also have struck a blow for democracy and everyone's equal rights.

But they did not.

Of course, Annika and Gary had nothing to do with Wednesday's invasion of Congress, but when the rest of the United States was in mourning, they had Thursday coffee with the man and instead linked up with Trump and one of the biggest shame spots in the country's history.

For a person who not only dominated competitive golf but also crowned a senseless career by playing against the men, reducing gender gaps and working for golf as a more inclusive sport, it is nothing short of remarkable.

When we did not even talk about Trump being accused of sexual harassment by no less than 26 different women.

After the medal ceremony, I was commissioned to call for reactions. Among other things, I got hold of Helen Alfredsson.

“When you have a voice, it is important to stand up for things that are more important than yourself, such as democracy. Many young people look up to sports stars. If a sports star stands for something positive, it is easier for that young person to be influenced in the right direction.”

With the events of January 6th aging ever more poorly as more evidence surfaces and major corporations flee from anyone supporting the insurrection, Sorenstam has been silent. Active on social media until recently, she has shared nothing about receiving the medal or explained her view of Trump’s role inciting the riot. As a longtime follower, I can see that Sorenstam appears has deleted numerous re-Tweets demonstrating her support of Trump leading up to and after the election.

Her last Tweet features 554 replies and the reaction to her acceptance of the medal is overwhelmingly negative.

Her husband, Mike McGee, deleted his Twitter account entirely after the January 7th visit to Washington. It would have taken days to scrub @JMikeMcGee of the various conspiracy nonsense and hydroxychloroquine peddling. Given the role Sorenstam plays as IGF President, it was the only move for McGee to make.

Sorenstam appears to be hoping the entire thing will go away even as she is leading golf’s top organizations? Even though the mission of the IGF is to improve the game’s image with the world and the job is of some importance given the planned Tokyo Olympics this summer.

Sorenstam is scheduled to play this week as a celebrity in the LPGA Tour’s 2021 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in an event featuring celebrities, athletes and LPGA winners from 2018-2020. She is an ambassador of the event and will hopefully address her positions. This Mike Bianchi profile in the January 16th Orlando Sentinel quotes Sorenstam on a few topics and mentions the medal ceremon, but does not appear to address the topic with her.

I reached out to the IGF about Sorenstam receiving the medal on January 7th. This statement from a spokesperson was already posted on the blog in coverage of the Player/Sorenstam medal ceremony (an that remains hidden from public reporting with no official photographs or releases documenting what happened at the White House).

Here is the initial IGF statement:

The International Golf Federation is extremely proud that Annika Sorenstam has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom along with Gary Player and the late Babe Zaharias, each of whom not only excelled at golf but transcended our sport as role models, mentors and philanthropists.  

As noted when she was named as the IGF’s new President in December, Annika is universally respected as a generational talent in women’s golf who, since retiring from competition, has dedicated herself to promoting women’s golf at all levels through her foundation. We are extremely proud of Annika and all that she has accomplished. 

Following the groundswell of outrage over the rights and subsequent impeachment of President Trump, I asked the IGF for comment. I received this statement on January 15th:

As an International Federation, the IGF recognises the importance of the autonomy of sport from politics and that the IGF must always remain politically neutral. That said, the IGF does not condone any forms of violence or illegal acts, including those committed by individuals that were viewed by the world during the breaching of the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2021. 

The spokesperson was also asked about the Twitter account scrubbing. It was made clear the IGF “absolutely did not urge Annika to delete any Twitter posts.”

I also reached out to the World Golf Hall of Fame spokesperson on January 7th and Callaway, longtime sponsor of Sorenstam, and have not heard back.

In scrubbing Tweets and hunkering out of the limelight, Sorenstam may have recognized the error of her ways in accepting the medal only hours after the attempted insurrection. As an American citizen now, Sorenstam is more than entitled to her views under the First Amendment. But if she is to continue on voting for Hall of Fame members and representing golf to the world as IGF President, Sorenstam needs to clarify where she stands on the events of January 6th. Otherwise, it is hard to imagine how she can adequately represent golf and its leading organizations on an international stage.

Outgoing IGF Head Dawson On Olympic Golf: "We would like to try to find...some kind of team format"

In a wide ranging interview broken up in to a pair of Insidethegames.com by Mike Rowbottom, outgoing International Golf Federation head Peter Dawson reflected on the Rio games, golf’s future in the Games and big (crowd) “numbers” he expects for Tokyo 2020 in 2021.

He also hinted at what might be plans for a team addition to the Games and defended the current 72-hole stroke play format.

"They [the IOC] wanted the format in the Olympic Games that was prevalent in the sport, not some fancy format for the Olympics," he said.

"And strokeplay is the way that golf largely determines its major champions."

Asked if he sees that changing, Dawson responded: "We would like to try to find a way, potentially, of getting at some kind of team format as part of the golf process.

"It would simply be the addition of the performances of the individuals, adding together their gross scores.

"There have been other formats where that has been done – at the Canada Cup and the World Golf Championships.

"A personal view is that I would like to see that add to the competitive landscape of the Games - but that’s a matter for others now.

Anything would be better than just two stroke play events. The bar is low, let’s raise it before golf gets run back out of the Games again.

Annika Sorenstam takes over as IGF head January 1.

Also worth reading is Rowbottom’s look back with Dawson at Rio 2016 and some of the wild comments in the run-up to those games ultimately boycotted by several players over Zika virus concerns.

Australia’s two-time British Open winner Greg Norman told The Sunday Times pre-Olympics: "There’s a disaster building. Google the name of it and you will see that it is located on what was a swamp.

"There are problems with pollution, with the perimeter property. You’re much more exposed to the possibility of a mosquito bite there than if you are competing inside the stadium.

"I hope that is their reasoning and it’s not just because they fancy a break. I fear now that golf might not survive beyond its two-Games cycle. The reputation of the sport looks like it is going to get a black eye over Rio."

McIlroy compounded the IGF’s discomfiture by subsequently claiming at a press conference: "I'll probably watch the Olympics, but I'm not sure golf will be one of the events I watch.” After being asked which events he would watch, the 27-year-old stated: "Probably the events like track and field, swimming, diving, the stuff that matters."

What we wouldn’t give now for the gravity of a Zika virus scare.

Why Was Zika A Non-Starter For Some Golfers But Not COVID-19?

That’s the question Dave Seanor asks at MorningRead.com as players are going to be locking up their field spot officially for next week’s Charles Schwab Challenge.

You may recall that several top players passed on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, concerned they might bring back the virus to their loved ones. Players like Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth all expressed worries about health in passing up golf’s return to the Games.

All four are entered for the Colonial return. This, as testing increased in Texas by 31% while the number of confirmed infections rose by 51%.

Seanor makes several strong points about the “credulity” strain of arguments in 2016 versus now and says it is “mind-boggling that more Tour members haven’t questioned the wisdom of going back to work so soon.”

He writes:

What changed? Is the health of their families no longer a priority? Do they have that much trust that the Tour can protect them, and everyone affiliated with the tournament, from exposure to a virus that has infected more than 1.8 million Americans and has yet to plateau – indeed, has increased – in some parts of the country? Or was their expressed concern about Zika, as widely suspected, just a convenient smokescreen to hide their lack of enthusiasm for the Olympics?

We certainly know issues surrounding the Olympics and enthusiasm played a role, as did the travel distance. But given the threat posed by Zika (2400 U.S. cases, one death), the current situation does seem significantly more concerning.

"PGA Tour, other tours should take cue from Olympics"

One of the more lucid reads in a while on golf tournaments, postponements and the big picture comes from Morning Read’s Dave Seanor. He highlights both the tough-but-necessary call by the IOC to postpone the Olympics, as well as the reasoned stance of the International Golf Federation head Antony Scanlon.

As it turns out, the IOC was ahead of the curve. In the ensuing weeks, only the R&A has taken similar forward-thinking action by postponing the 149th British Open until July 2021. The PGA of America, U.S. Golf Association and PGA Tour continue to operate under the wishful thinking that the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and various Tour events can be played in 2021. Ditto for Augusta National Golf Club, which holds out hope that a November date for the Masters will be doable. (It’s noteworthy that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, unlike his counterparts in California and New York, resisted early shelter-in-place directives and recently displayed a commerce-over-citizens’-health predilection by opening his state’s beaches against the wishes of local governments.)

The IOC, of course, had to consider the needs of many more sports than golf. While it may have dilly-dallied for several weeks, it ultimately concluded that a piecemeal attempt to salvage Tokyo 2020 would have been futile. International sports federations welcomed the schedule clarity, but the IGF still finds itself at the mercy of various pro tours hoping to rescue some portion of their 2020 seasons.

“Now that we know the new dates, we will work to finalize the qualification system for the Tokyo Games and adapt all our operational plans accordingly,” Scanlon said.

Scanlon’s positive outlook in a bleak time highlights how you’d hope an executive would think. That’s a nice way of saying he appears to have grasped reality and is thinking how to properly position golf when the time is right.

"It was the world’s athletes who forced Bach’s hand"

Christine Brennan, who broke news of the Tokyo Olympics postponement finally arriving, notes that it was the athletes who ultimately forced the loathsome IOC to understand what the rest of the world was experiencing, expecting and in the cases of Canada and Australia, forcing.

The athletes of the world needed Bach, once an Olympic athlete himself, a gold-medal-winning fencer from Germany, to be a leader at this crucial moment in history. What they found instead was a man who failed to rise to the challenge of the moment, who failed to understand that answers and empathy were essential, who chose a “business as usual, the Games must go on” stance when that became absolutely the worst possible position to take.

Some day, when things return to normal, we can look back on this latest hiccup for the Olympic movement and consider how golf best fits going forward. But for now, at least, we no longer have to see speculation about who will make teams or worry about the preparation being hampered and instead focus on those in need.

Deja Vu All Over Again? DJ First Star To Bow Out Of Tokyo 2020

Dustin Johnson’s intention to devote himself to the Playoffs(C) suggests defections will become a focus of the Olympic Games build-up. Again.

Last time it was Zika virus, this time if may be the Coronavirus. Or, in Johnson’s case, Playoff Fever.

From Eamon Lynch’s exclusive, Johnson agent David Winkle confirmed the Tokyo 2020 defection:

“At the end of the day, it’s a matter of personal preference and priority. As much as he would be honored to be an Olympian, the FedEx Cup Playoffs are also very important to him. Having had a few close calls in the Playoffs, he really wants to win them before his time is done and feels that he wouldn’t be giving himself the best opportunity to do so if he added a lengthy international trip just prior to their beginning (and shortly after returning from two weeks in Europe).”

With Brooks Koepka on the fence and Tiger Woods signaling that his schedule will be very limited, the men’s portion of Olympic golf is staring down a no-show narrative. Again. And it’s only March.

Beyond the Olympics and possible pandemics, a rush of scheduling-based defections should warrant a condensed schedule reconsideration. At least, in Olympic years. Again.

We've Got A Taker! JT Vows To Play Olympics Under All Scenarios If He Qualifies

Finally a top male pro golfers is vowing to play Tokyo, one who is currently qualified and based on recent play seems destined to make it.

Will Gray on Justin Thomas, sending a different message than Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson this week about turning up at the 2020 Olympic Games.

“There’s no scenario for me (to skip the Olympics if qualified),” Thomas said. “It’s just different. It’s once in every four years, and you have the opportunity to do it.”

Now just need to get this awful coronavirus under wraps and all should be fine.

Dustin Johnson Wonders If Olympic Golf Will Fit His Schedule

Currently easily in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games based on his No. 5 world ranking position, Dustin Johnson wondered aloud if the event falling 11 days after The Open Championship will fit his schedule.

OlympicTalk at NBCSports.com reports on Johnson’s comments ahead of his appearance in Saudi Arabia this week.

“Obviously representing the United States in the Olympics is something that, you know, definitely be proud to do,” he said when asked if the Ryder Cup and the Olympics are goals this year. “But is it going to fit in the schedule properly? I’m not really sure about that, because there’s so many events that are right there and leading up to it. So you know, I’m still working with my team to figure out what’s the best thing for me to do.”

Would Someone Sit To Get Tiger To The Tokyo Games?

That’s the question posed by Karen Crouse, looking ahead to the 2020 Olympic Games and Tiger’s spot just outside the final qualifying number (four Americans inside the top 15…he’s fifth).

With the money at stake and possibility this is the last chance for Woods to qualify due to playing less and accumulating more World Ranking points, could one of the four before him opt-out for the good of the games?

At the 2004 Australian swimming trials, the superstar Ian Thorpe, the world-record holder and reigning Olympic champion in the 400-meter freestyle, was disqualified from his heat for a false start after he lost his balance on the blocks and fell into the water. The top two finishers in the final qualified for the Athens Games, and scores of Australians soon were publicly calling on Craig Stevens, the runner-up, to relinquish his spot to Thorpe.

There was no danger that Stevens or Thorpe would miss the Games; both had qualified in other events. But a month later, during a televised interview for which he was paid a six-figure sum, Stevens announced that he was ceding his spot in the 400 freestyle to Thorpe, who went on to successfully defend his Olympic title.

For the moment, Woods still controls his fate. After his victory last year at the Masters, he described the Olympics as “a big goal,” but he admitted “getting there and making the team is going to be the tough part.”

And without Woods this time around, the Olympic men’s competition will be a tougher sell. In 2016, there was the novelty of golf’s return and a venue built for the Games. This time, they arrive on the heels of the last major, are playing well outside of Tokyo where temperatures are expected to make things miserable, and are playing a country club course that hardly screams inclusivity. Oh, and the format is flat on arrival.

The 2020 Olympic Golf Projected Field...

…which would not include Tiger Woods by this assessment.

Maybe because Rio offered the first Olympic golf in over a hundred years, the run-up featured far more coverage than the upcoming Tokyo 2020 golf. Or maybe there just isn’t much interest in golf at the next Games because the unimaginative format remains. Anyway…

Courtesy of Twitter’s mysterious Nosferatu, here is the field as it stands currently, though many significant tournaments will be played between now and then.

The #OlympicGolf Top 60 projection for @Tokyo2020 as of 11-Nov-19 (based on #OWGR projection for 22-Jun-2020).

Two Austrians on the first page! 🇦🇹🇦🇹@BenHebertGolf replaces Langasque for 🇫🇷@shubhankargolf moves in to double India's presence 🇮🇳🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/DtX4nvaFjt

— Nosferatu (@VC606) November 12, 2019

"Tokyo 2020 golf must be moved because of heat, politician tells IOC"

Reuters’ Andrew Both obtained a letter that “well-known” Japanese politician Shigefumi Matsuzawa has written to the IOC calling for the 2020 Olympic golf venue—Kasumigaseki—changed due to the likelihood of deadly heat waves.

Matsuzawa said his concern was not only for the golfers but for volunteers and spectators without clubhouse access who, he wrote, would have nowhere to escape the heat and humidity.

The average temperature over the past three years during the scheduled competition dates -- July 30 to Aug. 2 for men and Aug. 5 to 8 for women -- had been 31.7 degrees Celsius (89F), he wrote.

Extrapolating from past figures, Matsuzawa estimated that up to 1,250 people could suffer from heat stroke during the eight days of the golf competition.

"Ambulances and hospitals will be unable to cope and with heat stroke patients collapsing one after the other, the possibility of fatalities occurring cannot be ruled out," he added.

Matsuzawa recommended several possible replacement venues, including Wakasu Golf Links adjacent to Tokyo Bay or the mountain regions of Hakone and Nagano. Wakasu has been mentioned before and appears to lack the yardage or practice facilities necessary today.

The IOC recently moved the Olympic marathons because of heat concerns and is facing criticism from Tokyo’s mayor.

Rory Signals Intent To Play For Ireland In 2020 Olympics, Do Many Care Like They Did Four Years Ago?

It was a neverending, bizarre and unfortunate chapter in Rory McIlroy’s career: having to decide between Ireland and Great Britain for 2016 Rio games representation. With the Zika virus a concern and most golfers largely apathetic toward the Olympic movement, he ultimately chose not to play.

Four years later he’s near Tokyo and the 2020 Games are less than a year away, with no Zika and a golf-crazy country welcoming the players, and McIlroy has declared his intent to represent Ireland should he qualify.

Rex Hoggard with that news for GolfChannel.com.

More interesting will be the reaction to his decision given how inflammatory the topic was four years ago. So far, the topic seems like old news and not particularly intriguing to most. Is that a product of the old debate, Brexit distractions, or overall Olympic golf apathy?

ZZZZ: Olympic Golf Format To Remain Same In 2020

Great to see golf's leaders are still entrenched deep in their imagination black hole!

This is hardly surprising but it is a wonderful reminder that if golf can take the boring route, it will. Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com reports that players have been informed of 2020's Olympic golf plans and they look at lot like 2016's bland format.

According to a memo sent to PGA Tour players, the qualification process begins on July 1, 2018, and will end on June 22, 2020, for the men, with the top 59 players from the Olympic Golf Rankings, which is drawn from the Official World Golf Ranking, earning a spot in Tokyo (the host country is assured a spot in the 60-player field). The women’s qualification process begins on July 8, 2018, and ends on June 29, 2020.

The format, 72-holes of individual stroke play, for the ’20 Games will also remain unchanged.

A Proper Obituary For America's First Women's Olympic Champion (Who Happened To Win In Golf)

Thanks to all who sent in the New York Times special project to document and properly memorialize the lives of 15 women on International Women's Day.

The package kicks off with a remembrance of Margaret Abbott, America's first Olympic champion who happened to win at the Paris golf competition in 1900.

But even up to her death, Abbott was not aware that she is officially America's first female Olympic champ, writes Margalit Fox:

Though men’s and women’s golf appear to have been earmarked as Olympic events from the beginning, Welch said, few competitors seem to have realized the fact.

Abbott apparently thought that she was playing in a small, self-contained tournament, held at a course in Compiègne, some 50 miles north of Paris. She had entered it simply because she played golf and happened to be in France.

“They were calling it ‘Exposition Competition,’ ‘Paris World’s Fair Competition,’” Welch explained. “Because ‘Olympics’ wasn’t attached to it, she didn’t know.”