DJ removes himself from Olympic consideration?...

[Shilgy]

54 minutes ago, jubilee_links said:

Its his call obviously -
One of the things from Rio was golfers saying how amazing it was to be part of a huge team in a global event - a completely different experience to their day to day life.

 

As a competition and here its stands in professional achievements it may not rank highly, but as a life experience it can be a highlight.

If you want to experience it and embrace it, expanding your horizons -absolutely!

 

If you want to stay doing the usual stuff - its up to you.

I could see wanting to be a part of the first golf in the Olympics in over a century. But not every four years.

[RSinSG]

I’m surprised by the Olympics hate. I really enjoy watching some of the events probably because I was a mediocre college pole vaulter and a high school wrestler.  I’ve never had much interest in any of the team sports but watching elite athletes perform under the extreme pressure of that stage is compelling to me. 
 

IOC corruption and politics are definitely the dark side of it, but seeing the pure joy of an athlete when the accomplish a life-long goal is great to watch. Occasionally, when an athlete genuinely displays patriotic pride when they get their gold it reminds me of what it used to be like before it was hijacked by greed and politics. 
 

I even watch some of the Winter Olympics. Anything involving downhill speed, and of course Curling. 

[Shilgy]

11 minutes ago, RSinSG said:

I’m surprised by the Olympics hate. I really enjoy watching some of the events probably because I was a mediocre college pole vaulter and a high school wrestler.  I’ve never had much interest in any of the team sports but watching elite athletes perform under the extreme pressure of that stage is compelling to me. 
 

IOC corruption and politics are definitely the dark side of it, but seeing the pure joy of an athlete when the accomplish a life-long goal is great to watch. Occasionally, when an athlete genuinely displays patriotic pride when they get their gold it reminds me of what it used to be like before it was hijacked by greed and politics. 
 

I even watch some of the Winter Olympics. Anything involving downhill speed, and of course Curling. 

I don’t believe it is Olympic hate. Golfers do not aspire to compete in the Olympics growing up. Nor do those in tennis. Swimming, track and gymnastics yes.

[bscinstnct]

42 minutes ago, miamistomp said:

 Watch Giri/Haji on Netflix

  You will love it

 

Dang, looks awesome, but haven’t had Netflix since the season Pablo got killed on Narcos!

 

*oops, spoiler alert! 😂

Edited March 14, 2021 by bscinstnct

[Holy Moses]

30 minutes ago, golfandfishing said:

“There’s no reason to fly to Saudi Arabia except for appearance fees”

exactly my point - the appearance fee is a defining point of his pro career. Do you know what “professional” means?  

We are talking over each other and you aren’t understanding my point. My point is that travel isn’t the real reason DJ is wanting to skip out on the Olympics. It’s that he’s not getting paid. DJ would rip up his summer schedule for $2 million. He would miss the Open for $2 million. DJ just won’t admit the real reason.
 

[BlackDiamondPar5]

1 minute ago, Holy Moses said:

We are talking over each other and you aren’t understanding my point. My point is that travel isn’t the real reason DJ is wanting to skip out on the Olympics. It’s that he’s not getting paid. DJ would rip up his summer schedule for $2 million. He would miss the Open for $2 million. DJ just won’t admit the real reason.
 

So what's the problem? I'm guessing you don't work for free either, do you?

[gvogel]

38 minutes ago, stingerfade said:

That was bubba 

Right.  Thank you.

[Shilgy]

4 minutes ago, Holy Moses said:

We are talking over each other and you aren’t understanding my point. My point is that travel isn’t the real reason DJ is wanting to skip out on the Olympics. It’s that he’s not getting paid. DJ would rip up his summer schedule for $2 million. He would miss the Open for $2 million. DJ just won’t admit the real reason.
 

DJ will likely make over $2m by not ripping up his summer schedule.

Clearly you feel you know him better than the rest of us.  He is a professional golfer. Why should he be pressured to alter his schedule for an event that means very little to him?

Edited March 14, 2021 by Shilgy

[Holy Moses]

1 minute ago, BlackDiamondPar5 said:

So what's the problem? I'm guessing you don't work for free either, do you?

No, but if I turn down a job I admit it’s because they money isn’t adequate

[Holy Moses]

2 minutes ago, Shilgy said:

DJ will likely make over $2m by not ripping up his summer schedule.

Clearly you feel you know him better than the rest of us.  He is a professional golfer. Why should he be pressured to alter his schedule for an event that means very little to him.

DJ doesn’t have to rip up anything. He can play all the tournaments he is interested in. All I’m saying is just admit what the real reason is.

[gvogel]

17 minutes ago, RSinSG said:

I’m surprised by the Olympics hate. I really enjoy watching some of the events probably because I was a mediocre college pole vaulter and a high school wrestler.  I’ve never had much interest in any of the team sports but watching elite athletes perform under the extreme pressure of that stage is compelling to me. 
 

IOC corruption and politics are definitely the dark side of it, but seeing the pure joy of an athlete when the accomplish a life-long goal is great to watch. Occasionally, when an athlete genuinely displays patriotic pride when they get their gold it reminds me of what it used to be like before it was hijacked by greed and politics. 
 

I even watch some of the Winter Olympics. Anything involving downhill speed, and of course Curling. 

I think that you just clarified the situation.

 

You enjoy watching those Olympic sports once every 4 years, because you don't see Curling, downhill skiing and pole vaulting on a weekly basis.

 

But high level golf is on every week, and particularly, the Masters and the two national open championships happen once a year, generally on excellent golf courses.  The Hanse course in Rio was good, but it wasn't Augusta National or Oakmont, or The Old Course.  The course in Tokyo looks to be average at best.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

5 minutes ago, Holy Moses said:

No, but if I turn down a job I admit it’s because they money isn’t adequate

I think he was pretty clear...  What's the problem?

 

“I really didn't think much about it. I actually didn't really ever decide whether I was going to play or not, I just didn't sign up,” Johnson said Saturday. “But it's right in the middle of a big stretch of golf for me, so that was the reason I was kind of waffling on it a little bit.”

 

“It's a long way to travel,” Johnson said. “It's a lot of traveling at a time where it's important for me to feel like I'm focused playing on the PGA Tour.”

 

[wobgon]

12 hours ago, Justsomeguy said:

If he's being honest w himself he'll regret it one day.

Too unique of an opportunity.

Everybody remembers Justin Rose won gold.

He's already rich and top of the class. I could see it being a harder decision if he was really just starting to make a name and needed to play x tourneys to keep his card.

I must be nobody....I didn't remember that Justin Rose won the gold.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

12 hours ago, Justsomeguy said:

If he's being honest w himself he'll regret it one day.

Too unique of an opportunity.

Everybody remembers Justin Rose won gold.

He's already rich and top of the class. I could see it being a harder decision if he was really just starting to make a name and needed to play x tourneys to keep his card.

Sorry I don't remember that Rose won gold.

I'd skip it also and I think DJ's reasoning was pretty clear and valid.

[Dave230]

Golf in the Olympics can't have a legacy yet because it's only happened once. The same happened to tennis when it first returned.

 

In 1988, tennis returned to the Olympic Games after a 64-year absence. In Seoul, Miroslav Mecir beat Tim Mayotte to win Gold for Czechoslovakia. It was hardly the star-studded final that organisers had anticipated. Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Boris Becker were all among the top 8 seeds for Wimbledon in 1988. None of them played in the Olympics. Only Stefan Edberg, who won a bronze medal, and Henri Leconte would participate from the top 8.

 

Since then the event has established itself in the bracket just below the majors. Andy Murray’s win over Roger Federer in the final in London was treated with the same fanfare as winning a major. It was the who’s who of tennis competing as Federer, Djokovic and Murray all fought it out for medals, while Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova to win Olympic Gold. Federer is now scheduling his year around the Olympics, skipping the Australian Open and other tournaments.

 

DJ might regret not having the foresight to see what golf in the Olympics could become:

 

1) It's a novelty and it's only every four years. You miss this one and you change your mind and you might never get another chance. You can play Wyndham Championship for 20 more years if you want.

 

2) It's playing for your country and it takes on a different meaning with the fans. Winning the Fed-Ex Cup is great for your bank account but the average person couldn't give a s*** how much money you win.

 

3) It's a terrible look when he had no problem travelling to the Saudi International.

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by Dave230

[Shilgy]

7 minutes ago, BlackDiamondPar5 said:

I think he was pretty clear...  What's the problem?

 

“I really didn't think much about it. I actually didn't really ever decide whether I was going to play or not, I just didn't sign up,” Johnson said Saturday. “But it's right in the middle of a big stretch of golf for me, so that was the reason I was kind of waffling on it a little bit.”

 

“It's a long way to travel,” Johnson said. “It's a lot of traveling at a time where it's important for me to feel like I'm focused playing on the PGA Tour.”

 

Moses says that was not the real reason. So there ya go.

[Dave230]

23 minutes ago, Shilgy said:

I don’t believe it is Olympic hate. Golfers do not aspire to compete in the Olympics growing up. Nor do those in tennis. Swimming, track and gymnastics yes.

They didn't aspire to it because it didn't exist. These things take time to grow and a lot of people put in a lot of effort to get golf into the Olympics to help grow the game. There is a popular outside view from other sports, at least on my side of the Atlantic, that the PGA Tour has some of the most entitled athletes in the world of sport, if lots of them skip it then it only adds to that impression in my opinion.

[Shilgy]

3 minutes ago, Dave230 said:

Golf in the Olympics can't have a legacy yet because it's only happened once. The same happened to tennis when it first returned.

 

In 1988, tennis returned to the Olympic Games after a 64-year absence. In Seoul, Miroslav Mecir beat Tim Mayotte to win Gold for Czechoslovakia. It was hardly the star-studded final that organisers had anticipated. Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Boris Becker were all among the top 8 seeds for Wimbledon in 1988. None of them played in the Olympics. Only Stefan Edberg, who won a bronze medal, and Henri Leconte would participate from the top 8.

 

Since then the event has established itself in the bracket just below the majors. Andy Murray’s win over Roger Federer in the final in London was treated with the same fanfare as winning a major. It was the who’s who of tennis competing as Federer, Djokovic and Murray all fought it out for medals, while Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova to win Olympic Gold. Federer is now scheduling his year around the Olympics, skipping the Australian Open and other tournaments.

 

DJ might regret not having the foresight to see what golf in the Olympics could become:

 

1) It's a novelty and it's only every four years. You miss this one and you change your mind and you might never get another chance. You can play Wyndham Championship for 20 more years if you want.

 

2) It's playing for your country and it takes on a different meaning with the fans. Winning the Fed-Ex Cup is great for your bank account but the average person couldn't give a s*** how much money you win.

 

3) It's a terrible look when he had no problem travelling to the Saudi International.

 

What I take from this is that the players are supposed to buy in to the idea that the Olympics should have virtual major importance because someone else told them so. While the Players, which the tour boys recognize as nearly a major in importance to their schedule, is not so important.

[Shilgy]

2 minutes ago, Dave230 said:

They didn't aspire to it because it didn't exist. These things take time to grow and a lot of people put in a lot of effort to get golf into the Olympics to help grow the game. There is a popular outside view from other sports, at least on my side of the Atlantic, that the PGA Tour has some of the most entitled athletes in the world of sport, if lots of them skip it then it only adds to that impression in my opinion.

Until you mentioned it I had forgotten that tennis was an Olympic sport. In my opinion the sports should be those we do not see week in and week out at the professional level. Or, as @bladehuntersuggested leave it to the amateurs.

My perception is that many pro athletes play the Olympics because it is expected of them. Not necessarily because they want to. In th

is “pro athletes “ is referring to those we see often during their season. Yes I realize most of the athletes are professionals in their respective sport. But we are not deluged with coverage of the major swimming and gymnastics and many other sports events over the course of the year.

[Dave230]

24 minutes ago, Shilgy said:

Until you mentioned it I had forgotten that tennis was an Olympic sport. In my opinion the sports should be those we do not see week in and week out at the professional level. Or, as @bladehuntersuggested leave it to the amateurs.

My perception is that many pro athletes play the Olympics because it is expected of them. Not necessarily because they want to. In th

is “pro athletes “ is referring to those we see often during their season. Yes I realize most of the athletes are professionals in their respective sport. But we are not deluged with coverage of the major swimming and gymnastics and many other sports events over the course of the year.

Amateur golf is a bigger deal than amateur level in a lot of sports, so amateur golf would work very well, in fact it could usurp the US Amateur as the biggest event in amateur golf, with players waiting to play in it and it being one of the sure signs of a future major winner - like what happens in Olympic boxing (which is amateur).

 

But they've decided it's a professional golfers so I think that golf should embrace. Nobody is saying it should be bigger than the Masters or any of the majors, but it at least could be as big as a WGC or premium PGA Tour event, I don't think that's too much to ask.

 

Not everyone here loves the Olympics, but an awful lot of people do care about the Olympics, it's a two-week showcase of sport, and especially all around the world outside of America. America doesn't need to grow golf, there are more golf courses and registered golfers than it will probably ever get. But that's not the case for a lot of countries around the world and the Olympics gives a lot of countries the chance to put up golfers they might not always get the chance to.

 

I know in Ireland, we very rarely get a gold medal, so if Rory McIlroy got us a gold medal that would be up there with winning a major title. Because he would be in a very select group of gold medal Irish winners. In Ireland, the public were very let down by Rory not playing last time and that news story reached a far bigger audience than an average golf story was. This isn't true for DJ with the US because you win so many medals, I know. In fact US will likely have a very strong team no matter what and he won't be desperately missed if you bring Morikawa, Koepka, DeChambeau and Thomas for example.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Dave230

[golfandfishing]

6 minutes ago, Dave230 said:

Amateur golf is a bigger deal than amateur level in a lot of sports, so amateur golf would work very well, in fact it could usurp the US Amateur as the biggest event in amateur golf, with players waiting to play in it and it being one of the sure signs of a future major winner - like what happens in Olympic boxing (which is amateur).

 

But they've decided it's a professional golfers so I think that golf should embrace. Nobody is saying it should be bigger than the Masters or any of the majors, but it at least could be as big as a WGC or premium PGA Tour event, I don't think that's too much to ask.

 

Not everyone here loves the Olympics, but an awful lot of people do care about the Olympics, it's a two-week showcase of sport, and especially all around the world outside of America. America doesn't need to grow golf, there are more golf courses and registered golfers than it will probably ever get. But that's not the case for a lot of countries around the world and the Olympics gives a lot of countries the chance to put up golfers they might not always get the chance to.

 

I know in Ireland, we very rarely get a gold medal, so if Rory McIlroy got us a gold medal that would be up there with winning a major title. Because he would be in a very select group of gold medal Irish winners. In Ireland, the public were very let down by Rory not playing last time and that news story reached a far bigger audience than an average golf story was. This isn't true for DJ with the US because you win so many medals, I know. In fact US will likely have a very strong team no matter what and he won't be desperately missed if you bring Morikawa, Koepka, DeChambeau and Thomas for example.

What, exactly, would Rory winning  a gold medal do for Ireland?  

[stingerfade]

7 hours ago, Soloman1 said:

I think the Japanese golf culture would be too much of a shock for western golfers to adapt to. First, there's the tee ceremony. Then they would have to get used to taking their shoes off and on at every green. And then the speeches before every round and at the medal ceremonies last longer than the round itself. I wonder if they'll have to stop for an hour at the turn and have lunch like everyone else in Japan?

 

I don't think they'll ever get used to the little bell sound when a ball drops in a hole. And then there's the hole-in-one problem. They'd have to buy hole-in-one insurance because in Japan they don't give you a car, you have to buy cars for the other people in your group.

 

I think that's why they might want to bow out... so to speak.

 

And then there's the weather. The Tokyo area at the end of July, beginning of August, is basically, well, like a jungle. It's 95/95 weather - 95°F with 95% humidity.

 

And then there's the course, Kasumigaseki Country Club. It's a ride and a half from the Olympic village on the waterfront of Tokyo where everyone will be required to stay. I would say at least a miserable hour drive each way. And if that isn't enough, they will be sleeping on cardboard beds that can be recycled after the olympics. You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. Look it up if you don't believe me.

 

But wait, there's more. Kasumigaseki CC is like going back into the 1960's. I've played there a couple of times and the east course they'll be playing is a good course, but they'll need to bring their own oxygen tanks because it's so stuffy. This is the course of politicians, status seekers, concrete company bosses (Japan pours more concrete every year than any other country in the world) and the average age of members is 134 years old.

 

 

What other worn out stereotypes do you want to peddle as “humor?” Seems like Asians are still fair game. Please tell me what golf is like in Mexico or Zimbabwe as well?

 

 

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by stingerfade

[Phireside]

15 hours ago, FredCouplesFan said:

Don't really blame him. The flight over sucks, private or not. The current quarantine rules are also a bit harsh. Could be a much larger commitment than what most pros will want.

Have you ever flown to Tokyo from the west coast, where he could easily chill if he wanted to break it up? The flight is not bad. If I had the cash, I would go to Tokyo for a long weekend.

[shoot4par]

14 hours ago, tgws said:

golf's not a team sport and these are paid professionals

 

give the olympics back to the ams

 

That would be sick in golf similar to the boxing model. 

Edited March 14, 2021 by shoot4par

[MUNIGRIT]

I dont blame him. I wouldn't want to deal with the China virus quarantine rules. Not thanks my time is worth something and I'll play in 4 years. Props to DJ for tapping out so early.

Edited March 14, 2021 by MUNIGRIT

[tacklingdummy]

Zika and now COVID. Are they trying to get rid of worldwide sports and travel? It wouldn't surprise me that climate change activists don't want people to fly internationally or at all. 😂🤣

[Holy Moses]

36 minutes ago, golfandfishing said:

What, exactly, would Rory winning  a gold medal do for Ireland?  

There is honor in representing your country when you compete for something bigger than your own acclaim and prize money. In South Korea, you even get out of compulsory military service if you win a medal. The Olympics is not perfect. It’s a corrupt organization. But once in a career, a player should aspire to play in it, especially if you are the best player in the world.

[Holy Moses]

7 minutes ago, MUNIGRIT said:

I dont blame him. I wouldn't want to deal with the China virus quarantine rules. Not thanks my time is worth something and I'll play in 4 years.

There are no quarantine rules for the Tokyo Olympics. Just a negative test within 72 hours.

[miamistomp]

 

 

 

 

Maybe because I was track guy the Olympics are still a big deal to me. Closest sniff I got was a fourth in a Mid Atlantic sectional in 87 but one of my coaches went and said he would not trade the experience for anything

 

I guess when you are already rich and jaded it doesnt matter- so better somebody who wants the spot gets to go

[BlackDiamondPar5]

3 minutes ago, miamistomp said:

 

 

 

 

Maybe because I was track guy the Olympics are still a big deal to me. Closest sniff I got was a fourth in a Mid Atlantic sectional in 87 but one of my coaches went and said he would not trade the experience for anything

 

I guess when you are already rich and jaded it doesnt matter- so better somebody who wants the spot gets to go

For track and a litany of other sports the Olympics is the top honor. For pro golf it probably wouldn't even rank top 7.