RTJ Jr. Goes To The Whip In Olympic Course Designer Derby!**
/An unbylined AP story looks at the circus that has become the race to land the Olympic golf course design bid.
Robert Trent Jones Jr. visited Brazil this week and secured a spot in the race to build the course, joining a field that includes Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman and others.
You know, I don't want to be cruel, but...Seve?
"The game of golf is in Brazilian hands," said Jones, who formed a partnership Wednesday with retired Brazilian golfing great Mario Gonzalez to vie for the Olympic course design work.
Nice touch. I was wondering when someone would sign Gonzalez up!
Uh, I was able to confirm a 1953 Argentine Open win for Mr. Gonzalez. I wasn't sure if it was 52 or 53. How the memory fades.
"We have dozens of designers interested in this course, the international reaction has been great," said Paulo Pacheco, the Brazilian golf confederation's vice president of marketing. "I think it's even possible that one of these designers will offer their work free of charge just because of the importance of having their name associated with this historic tournament."
Just remember that when they charge you a $1.5 million shaping fee!
**I pulled out my handy copy of Daniel Wexler's wonderful Book of Golfers. He desribes Mr. Gonzalez as "the greatest player ever produced by Brazil," having first won the Argentine Open in 1940, played in three Masters and having captured eight Brazilian Open titles. He was born in 1923.
