I miss a green, for example, I'm already upset.
When I find my ball in the bunker, I'm really upset. And when I find my ball.
In a Friday Egg Friday Egg, the dreaded Friday Friday Frida Egg Frida Egg Bride Egg Lie.
I'm about ready to run off of the golf course.
Welcome back to another edition of the Friday Golf Podcast. I am your host, Andy Johnson. Today I've got a jam packed episode that centers around Olympic golf. We are at the point where we have the Olympics starting this week. We've got the men's competition at l Golf Nationale uh this week, followed by the women's competition next week. I think the Olympics are in an interesting place where they're kind of like floating about, so I've thought this would
be an interesting episode to put together. We have Nicholas Cole starts joining to talk about his experience playing in the twenty sixteen Olympics at Rio. He was in the mix going into the final round, kind of like he didn't have a good final round, but was there, you know, with the with the thought of possibly winning in Olympic medal. So really cool experience and a thoughtful, thoughtful person that
I think soaked in the experience overall. And then I'm joined by Garrett Morrison, Our Garrett Morrison, to just talk about the Olympics and where it sits today and where we think it might go. So this is a super fun podcast. Nicholas will be up first. I realized that I didn't have my mic turn on. Halfway through this interview. I apologize, you're just getting it through my headphones. So if it's a little bit scratchy, I promise it gets
better for the back three quarters of this episode. So I realized on and I was like, oh, it was early in the morning. I had flown to the East coast, it was it was rough. I was, you know, effectively up very very early for my body clock. Uh. So I flipped it on and I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. And thanks thanks a lot to Nicholas for joining all Right, Nicholas, thank you so much for coming on on the podcast. You played in the twenty sixteen Olympics.
You played golf, You represented your country, Belgium. I didn't realize your your grandfather played two sports in the Olympics. Was a basketball and water polo player in the nineteen twenty Olympics. That is I can't imagine there's a ton of multi sport Olympic athletes.
No, correct, But I mean, first of what, he was my great grandfather, go long way back that I was.
I was reading Wikipedia and I was like, that can't be right. The grandfather nineteen twelve.
Yeah, so yeah, great grandfather. So we were lucky to have the Olympics in Antwerp in nineteen twenty. And then he did a second Olympic Games in nineteen thirty six in Munich, so he did basketball and water polo. I think he was only the captain of one of these two teams. I don't remember which one he was. He was actually in the stadium in nineteen thirty six when Jesse Owens won goal and Hitler was there, and Hitler decided to leave for you know the reasons back in
the day. But yeah, yeah, there was always an Olympic history in the family, which is why I have connected with the Olympics, even before he was even a question that golf was going to be a part of them.
Yeah, you played in majors, you contended in majors. You obviously had a phenomenal Ryder Cup and twenty twelve of I'm curious where does qualifying and playing in the Olympics rank in your career, Achie event.
Let's not even get into the cheesiness of you know, you represent your country and all that kind of stuff, like we we know that it goes without saying. The thing with the Olympics is like I went to the Olympics with two different views. Like the number one was extremely you know, proud to become an Olympian, but number two was was you know, being an ultimate fan of sports. You know, the souvenirs that I that I that I get from it is you know, walking around the Olympic
village and stuff like that. I mean, it's almost like I had forgotten that I was there to actually compete because I was so attracted to the size of the event and some of the things I was seeing, like the different body types and the different nationalities and and you know, also the fact that you know, we do a decent living at our sport, even if you're one hundreds in the world, where if you're twenty fifth at rowing, you know, you probably struggle to put food on the table.
So you know, Throughout the experience, I constantly was reminded that we were extremely lucky to play twenty five thirty thirty five events a year, and therefore, to me, it was it really satisfied my sporting DNA to the core more than anything else.
Yeah, I imagine. I mean, what's it like, you know, we're you're there. How does it compare to like a normal week where you're you're you might be staying in a suburban hotel, you know, playing a tournament. What was your week like from a practice Like did it change the way you practice? Did you spend more time kind of away from the course, do you know, just watching other sports and hanging out?
Yeah, a little bit, Yeah, got a little bit, not just for us, but for caddies as well. I mean, like we went I had, you know, Brian and Caddy for me for more than ten years on the back back then, and it was it was like we were done with our practice rounds and practice a little bit and it's like can we go that there's weightlifting on or swimming or I went to see a bunch of field hockey games because I know a bunch of guys
in the Belgium team, so I ended up going. I think I went to see all their games except the final, and so they blame me for not winning the final because they lost the final against Argentina. But I kept on pushing my my plane ticket to go back home anyway. But but yeah, you you just are completely swallowed by by the event and the buzz. Did you know the month of the Olympics or the three weeks of the Olympics offers, I mean whatever it was, weightlifting or badminton
or diving. We were also in the stadium when the one hundred meter final was on, like just absolute biblical moments that you've been watching on TV since you were a little kid. And she was just like, we're in the stadium with these and agains, these caddies that you know, they carry a bag for a living. They are a huge part of our you know, living and and sports. But for them to be able to live this and to tell their parents when they go back home at
forty five or fifteen years old, there big games. I thought it was quite quite quite funny at the same time and super fulfilling for them as well.
Was there a sport that you hadn't like, really experienced in person or was there like a sport that you picked up while you're there, like watching that you enjoy watching from there? Was there one that like stood out surprised you.
I thought the weightlifting was quite incredible because these guys, you know, lift those bars every they've got like a three four five minute break between you know, trying to beat the world record or trying to be the other guy that they're going head to head with for a medal.
It was it was just like absolutely incredible table tennis, like it's so quick, so quick, it's absolutely incredible, like when you stand you know, most sports when when when you go and watch the top of the tree is it's just like if you have that that uh, that gene of understanding. You know, we might have that because we're already sports professional, so we can really understand maybe
a little bit easier than average Joe. But but it's just fascinating to see also the level of focus from the guys we you know, for the like the field hockey for example, we we ended up going in the bus with them to the games. So it was Peters and I. Peters knew a few guys in the team as well because they're a Mentwerp and I knew a few guys because their dad played with my dad back in the day in first division in Belgium. So I
went and asked a coach. I was like, do you mind who's key with Do you mind if we just coming in the bus with you guys to the games. You know, we sit at the front, we sit in the corner, and we don't bother anyone. Yeah, yeah, sual. So we ended up going to like three or four games with the team in the bus and going to the venue like there's not a peet. That's just a
little bit of music. Some guys are a bit loud, but it's like and now on the way back when they win, like team sports, It's just I was a bit jealous. I wish I'd done team sports because you know, living with guys like that for you know, two months, three months, six months, maybe a year in preparation of the Olympics, you know, when you come when it comes
to fruition like that. We have that a little bit in Rodica, but it's only a few weeks building up where these guys are training together for one year, two year, three years altogether living together, and you know, when you beat Holland in the semi's knowing you're going to get a medal, which is our biggest rival. It's it's just an explosion in the bus on the way back. The guys are jumping at the back and it's just like absolutely incredible.
I do feel I think like the Olympics has it's been I don't think it's been like warmly received for golf in terms of like golf's place in it. I don't think like it's been fully embraced by players, bands, the governing bodies of golf. And I think that one of the aspects of what you just hit on that's missing is the team element of it. It's, you know, it kind of is just another individual tournament you played
with with Thomas Peters over there. But did you feel like you guys were in it together or would you, you know, would you like to see a team element of it. I think Belgium is like an interesting country when it comes to the Ryder car.
Are you going to give You're going to give me the Illinois.
I'm not gonna I'm not bringing up Illinois. Belgius an interesting country when it comes to the Olympics, because I think it's like a great example of what golf could be versus a lot of other sports, Like you know, it's it's gonna there's maybe one or two teams that could beat Team USA in terms of basketball, right.
Basketball, Yeah, but in terms of golf.
One of the things I think it like from a team element, if you made it a team competition along with the individual you could get these amazing underdog stories because it wouldn't be inconceivable for four golfers from Belgium to beat you know, the American team or the English team some of the what would be deemed the heavy favorite teams because of just the fickle nature of golf.
And you know, there is worldwide talent and in twenty thirty countries could have could feel the team that could beat the Americans in a given week.
Yeah, I mean, listen, there's not many team events in professional golf. Maybe you know, there was an opportunity for them to fill that gap. In the beginning, I didn't really personally feel that because I'm you know, I'm I'm extremely team orientated. You know, Peters and I in Rio, So we ended up being paired together with some of the dude on Sunday and I was quickly hatched off the race and Peters was you know almost you know, with like six seven holes to go battling with Coucher
to get bronze. And in the end, it didn't even matter what I did. I mean every shot I was with him. I was like, dude, come on, let's push, let's push, let's push. You know, a couple of holes, if you squeeze two or three, you never know, like there's a chance, blah blah blah. And I really saw, I really saw it as a as a team thing because of how it happened, because we got paired together
and everything that was out and this and that. But but I think it's it's some nations will probably you know, identify as more like a team thing push one another. But then you know it's two guys. You know, you're going to make sure that they get along with one another, which was our case. So it didn't really didn't really it didn't play against us. But but the whole build up early in the week, you know it might be
an individual thing, but you do everything together. You go to the opening ceremony together, you're you're you're, you're in the same apartment type thing. I know, most of the guys in Paris now are sleeping at an a hotel which is on site because the Olympic village is just too far. It's at the north of Paris, like, forget about it. It's going to take them more than an hour to get to the venue. So it's just unmanageable. But you do everything with your with your with your colors.
Uh nations would tend to send like look at Denmark for example, they've got Thomas Beyond as the captain. You know, I was asked to be a captain for Belgium, you know, last year, and I wasn't really in the in at the moment. They should if they asked me at another time, I would have said yes. And I actually tried a couple of months ago but it was too late. But you know, go for Denmark, you have Thomas Beyond going with Olison and Oycot. I mean, what more you can't
be more team oriented than that. I mean, you've got a guy that's won the Ryder Cup at the National who's you know, into the Hall of Fame of European Golf, who as a captain, So it is somehow a little bit team orientated.
MM hmm. With you illuminate something that makes an event unique and in the sense of like it's not just about winning. You know, most most golf tournaments it's like you finished first and you feel you feel that joyous, like celebratory aspect that you were talking about with the field hockey team on the bus, like where they're you know that's for golfers winning is that you know, you can leave a tournament really happy about a t eight,
but you're not in that joyous winning mood. With the Olympics, it's a little different, right you hit on it like Thomas Peters was was going for the third. Yeah, how does that change the dynamic of you playing playing in an event? Did it feel different where there was this idea of like it's not just first, but second and third are are super valuable. Like that feels like winning.
I think that if you really understand what the Olympics are about, you know, you you look at winning a medal from such a different angle. You know, we've all seen, you know, these pictures of whether it's Carl Lewis or Michael Phelps or even you know, we all know this Australian guy at the at the Winter Olympics that won the short track where everybody fell in front of him, Like, you know, you have an opportunity to make it properly in the history books of not just your sport, but sports.
I mean, I've got just I've got ship. It was just just talking about it. It. Yeah, it's definitely different. I mean I was. I was so nervous on the first team, so nervous, and you think, like, you know, like wow, I mean I've played majors, have played in the Ratta Cup, and it was just as bad as team up at the Rata Cup, because because you know that at the end of the thing there could be something that you would be looked at, uh from your people at home as in like wow, the you know
you want a metal for Belgium. You're not playing for yourself, You're playing for the colors. You're playing for your your country and hearing your national anthem. I mean, how many times you get your national interem play when you play golf. Never the only time you get your national anthem is you guys at the Rod Cup. Would I don't even have all we have this European thing that nobody really identifies to. So it's it's it's really it's really different.
It just hits you different. It's it's it's sports. It resonates with just playing for nothing, you're just playing for pride. When you're playing for how proud you you? You can be representing your country and your sport. And I mean it's three every four years, every four years. You know, if you think swimming, I mean they have the World Championship, they have the Olympic Games, and that's it. So that's why I think it's it resonates and it makes it so big.
I do think I think when you I think we're you know, we're in the like early years of golf being back in the Olympics, and I think, like it's easy for people to kind of cast it aside as it doesn't really fit. But I think, you know, I'm of the person belief that as we get twenty years out from this, the event will further entrench itself and it will become, you know, more a part of the
golf lexicon. But you already start to see, like with Justin Rose, he won the twenty sixteen Rio that you played in, and then you have Xanderschaffle winning in Japan four years ago, you know, if they're able to add another big name player, it could be this really fascinating event where it's like it kind of chronicles capsules and time of golf. Because of that it's only once every
four years. And qualifications, I mean, it's really hard to qualify for this team, like to be one of the two best players in a country or you know, if you're in a golf riche country where you could get more than two. You know, you know, you have to be at the very top level of the game. Do you think that as we get more into the Olympics that it will become more embraced by whether it's all consistent, whether it's got players, fans, and also the governing bodies.
I think like the Golf's tournaments haven't really embraced it.
I think that well, the view from players has changed. Like the only the only one was really the first one. And you know, people use the excuse of that Zeke virus back then, yeah, which which I mean, come on, I mean, I didn't see a mosquito the whole two weeks I was there, right, But I kind of understand it as well, Like, you know, these guys came from a schedule of like twenty five thirty big events of the year. It wasn't really at the right time of
the year, I understand it. But quickly for Tokyo they all showed up, they all did, and they all realized that it was, you know, something quite you neque to be a part of. Yes, the majors are special, Yes, the Ryder Cup is special. Yes, the Memorial Tournament is special. Riviera is special. But this, you know, this stance part, and you know when you look at you know, Rory last time was sweating it out to try to win bronze and look and looked really really upset, not you know,
getting it done. Just it just makes you think, yeah, okay, these guys really get it. If you are a sports fan like you will get taken by it. You will that there's no if you don't. If you don't get it, you know, find something else to do. Go play a regular PGA Tour event if that makes you happy. But if you don't understand that playing Olympics is special, like I've got nothing to say to you.
I I think there is like this added gravity of the of the Olympic medal, and I think we we get so caught up especially in America. But you know, we're about to hit the uh hit the Fedax Cup playoffs. You know, one of my favorite times of the year when when golf, all that we talk about is how
much money is on the line. But like the Olympics is actually like the complete opposite, where there's no money on the line, except there's this medal that like represents I think like an Olympic medal represents a greater kind of symbol in just all of sport, right, Like you know, it's the first line you say about somebody, Oh, he's an Olympic medalist, right, And I think like when you think about that, it's like a it's a crazy it's
it's a different gravity. And I think when we when we go to in particularly golf Nationale that of course you've won at getting it home at that golf course, with all the water, all the preponderance of problems that can be there, I think you're going to see that real Like these guys might end up getting you know, a little bit rattled by the gravity of a medal again.
You know, you might very well see that because of you know, the stage it's on and the last couple of hos it's at the National But but you first need to understand. I've seen a few medals at people's place, in their offices and stuff, and it's just like, wow, it's an Olympic medal. Like you just don't see an Olympic medal. It's like seeing you know, some of the
some some some books from from the Vatican library. You know, you just don't see them, and and and and yeah, I can only hope that you know, there's going to be you know, let's hope that there is you know, riff raff in the last four or five holes, that you know, the three guys in the position for the three medals could be. Imagine a group of six, you know, playing for three medals and I don't even know what's
the what's the situation with ties? If it's like just the last round scores and stuff like that, which would be hard wreaking. Imagine sorry, dude, you're finishing fourth because you've shot seventy one and the two other guys shot sixty nine and seventy and stay the bus home to the Olympic village with nothing around your neck. You would be devastating. So I just hope the guys will understand what they're playing for.
There's a there's got to be a playoff. You can't send them that.
It would be kind of harsh, harsh.
How did it? How did the you know, you went into the last day with a chance of a bronze? How did how did that feel comparatively to a normal week? Was it a similar feeling when you were you're dealing with like the nerves of was it similar to contending or similar to Ryder cup or you know, how was that? How is that Saturday night?
Like it was?
Listen, it was it was heavy, just like any Saturday night that you know you're going to the last round and you know you playing for something big, And it didn't really change much honestly. It's it's just you know, the people would tell you try to take you know, the end result away from you know, the thinking process,
otherwise you're going to start making bad decisions. But it's just like standard you know, sports psychology and all, just stick to the processes instead of you know, seeing the headline. But after I think after six souls or something, I was that So I was like, listen, and I only have one job? Lift is one job left? Is trying to get the speeders over the line and bring one back, because it would have been a hell of a party. But but but yeah, listen, in the end, it's just
another Saturday night like the other ones. You're trying to do your best and and and yeah, it's it's a you know, looking back now at my age and having done it for like twenty twenty five years, you know you need to be properly bulletproof to actually go through these nights and show up the next day and have clear thinking and and and get the job done, because it's it's not easy.
But how do you fancy Belgium's chances this year?
I think they're good. I think they're good. Listen, I mean we all know Detrie HIDINOI both to both of them.
I mean, see in Belgium or TV University of Illinois. You can look at it two different ways.
I'm a bit surprised Mike Small's not there.
I'm surprised they I'm surprised they asked you to be the coach, not Mike Small.
Yeah, I would have handed it over to Mike Small. But yeah, of course they have a good chance. The girl as well, that mine, OWNDI listen, she's really good. She's I think she's in the top three or top five of the d T like, I mean, she's one a few times, like she's solid. So yeah, Dutries played the course a bunch of times. Adrian de Monchasell I wonder if he's actually ever played it. So yeah, there's a there's there's a there's a good chance that we
get somebody in the mix coming Sunday. It would be it would be quite funny actually that you know Detro wins the medal after chasing you know, big big results or actually a win on either PG or europeon where it would be a fun one to win for his first one.
Yeah. I mean he's been in the mix too, and I think to the majors this year he was like really kind of in it at one point. I think the weekends didn't go well for him, but he's been around, he's definitely got the game to do it.
Yeah.
I got to ask you a question. Well, I was researching this, I saw you don't have a home one. Is that still you know you got one?
No? No, I do, I do know. I made my first official one of the Scottish Open last year and it's funny because I started working with Dave Linquist, who will be listening to this one of ours friends last year and he was like, we're going to get one. I'm like, dude, I've been chasing this thing for twenty years. I ain't gonna happen. I'm just a black sheep. And
we did one in Scotland which was really cool. But before that, I made one on the practice round at a Trump and Dubai on the Path four with Detree and Peters actually and I just hold this this shot on this driving boat.
So yeah, albatros before before a home one on a part three.
Yeah, well I already admite an albatross in Portugal by holding a five iron on the twelve hold of the Portugal Masters one year. So now I can. I can. I can die in peace because I've I've ticked all the boxes and I can die in peace because I've made your podcast as well.
I have to say, you got to be you had to be like the only pro without a home one.
Yeah, I don't think there would have been many of us. Yeah, it was. It was really something that really kept me awake at night when it used to when it used to to come up in conversations. I mean, you might as well just leave the table, you know, when you surrounded by guys that I've had like thirteen and seventeen by sinning one and getting a good bounce off a bunker. I mean you're just like, what have I done? What
if I don't to deserve this? I mean, I think I've hit enough solid go shots in my life to actually deserve the Holy.
One, right, Yeah, Nicholas, thanks so much for coming on chatting about the Olympics. One of these days we'll have to do a full pod to dive into more of your career, more of your interests. I h I know you're in Abiza right now. I mispronounced it. You told me how to pronounce it before. We'd love to dive in you. Yeah, we should be. We should do a whole European travel podcast sometime, all the best.
Spots and any any time. I've always enjoyed watching to you guys. You guys are great. You're amusing, your quite intelligent. You've got a great sense of humor even where you come from, so keep it up.
Thank you, even where we come from. You thank you for that. What last question as a world traveler, what would be your dream Olympic city host? Where would be the Olympics that you'd most want to go attend if you if they were going to host it?
What city?
Well, I think the next ones are going to be great. I mean los Angeles, Come on, los Angeles is going to be amazing. I mean it's going to be pre to play at Riviera. This is just you know, selfishly about golf. But yeah, I mean you stick to the big ones. But los Angeles next time, I think wouldn't be absolutely awesome.
Yeah, yeah, all right, all right. I thought I was going to get some European city far flung, your European city or something, you know, something off the grid.
But you want the Americans is too small, Russells is too small. Conduit in Brussels.
Well you could get that American caesar salad you love so much if you came it came up.
Well, yeah, I'm going to get my fix of chicken caesar salad the next time. I can't wait. All right, thanks a good one, see dude.
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I'm joined by our own Garrett Morrison here. Garrett, I gotta ask you, are you excited for the for the golf in the Olympics.
I am so excited for the Olympics. I love the Olympics. I'm a huge fan of pretty much all Olympic sports. Golf in the Olympics is fine. I'm glad it's there. I would like to see it build up some tradition over time. But my excitement level is kind of middling compared to how excited I am to see swimmers and sprinters and even the canoers. Those are, you know, special Olympic sports that we only get to see every four years. I get up for those. Golf, I don't know. I
got to see more of it. I got to see how the competition develops over time.
Yeah, I think I'm in the same boat. I think I'm more in bullish in the Olympics category. I think that just in general, this event I think is going to age. Well, you know, is it exactly how I want golf in the Olympics from a format sense, No,
but I'm happy it's a part of it. I think that, like there is a great opportunity with golf in the Olympics, if the players and the constituents really kind of lean into, hey, this is an Olympic sport, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent, really represent your country, and you know, the greatest athletic spectacle there is.
I agree. I think the potential is enormous because there's nothing like an Olympic medal. There's really nothing like it, you know, And that's what this competition has going for it, plus its association with the tradition of the Olympics, which is second to none in the sporting world. But what it does require is that investment on the part of the athletes. If it's really important to them, then it
will become crucially important to us. And I think it was important to Justin Rose that he won his medal at the at the Rio Olympics. I think that was a big deal to him and that gave this event some authenticity, some legitimacy going forward. I'm not sure I got the same sense from Xander Shaffley, but then again, I don't really get anything from Xander Shafflee, and so maybe he was deeply moved and excited about winning the gold medal in Japan. But I don't know. I mean,
I didn't get much from him about it. And so again we'll see if these players properly invest Now. I don't want to come down too hard on some of the players in the Olympics this coming week, but I did notice that some players showed up to the opening ceremony in Paris and some didn't. And again, there are many reasons that players might not have made the time or been able to attend the opening ceremony. But I thought it was really cool that Colin Morrikala and Wyndham
Clark were there. They were out there on the boat. They were mixing it up with the other athletes. They have been going to at least mare Kawa has been going to some Olympic events. They seem to be all in. Now we'll see what Scotti, Shuffler, and Xander Schofflee show us. As far as the Americans are concerned, you know, how much how much do they really care about this competition?
I would I would like to see that. I'm not saying that they don't, but not seeing them at the opening ceremony was I mean, it was a bit of a bummer. It would have been nice to see all four of them there.
Yeah, I don't know. I guess I think I could see both sides of it, right, especially for someone like Xander who's already done probably I think I think he was at the opening ceremony in Japan. I'm not positive, but if you've already done one, I see, like, Okay, maybe I don't show up to the second one. Yeah, I can understand that. I think that the you know, it's been interesting. I think from the Olympic side, the women,
the women's has been way more successful to date. It has been way more embraced by the athletes and the fans. I think it's like a really big deal in the women's game. I think it serves as almost a major championship to the women, which is how I kind of think. You know, I don't it's not in apples to apples comparison, but I think that if it stays into in the greater golf world, that Olympic gold will get to that standing.
Because the scarcity of it, it's just like it's really hard to qualify for and there are very few of them warded, So when you think about it, it's like you have to be one of the best, you know, twenty or so players in the world to have a shot at really like winning one because of the qualification standards, and it's only once every four years, like you think about, I think that's what makes major so fascinating is the scarcity of them. There's only four of them a year.
And I think from from that sense, like an Olympic gold if if they kind of play their car, if the if the if, the game embraces it, and maybe they make a few I think a few format tweaks could really help it. I think that it would. It could leap into the upper ash lines of like the sport and the honors of the sport. Olympic gold medalists has like a nice ring to somebody's resume.
A couple of things from that. First of all, why do you think it has become a bigger deal more quickly for the women.
I think it's because they embrace it, and I think they like revel in the opportunity to be on this platform.
Yeah, the platform is very meaningful to them in a way that you know that the men might not see it the same way, even though it is an important platform for them. Also, it's maybe harder for them to realize that considering that the majors are already such a big platform for them.
Yeah, yeah, I think I think that's it, right, I think, And I think if you look at the other the other aspect of it is I think on both sides, one of the things that the Olympics has going for it is the winners have been awesome. Justin Rose Xanderschoffley on the men's side, MB Park, Nelly Korda. I mean, those are four generational players.
And Ry Sabatini with the silver medal, I mean, how can you get better than that?
I mean, Rory Sabatini has been relevant for twenty five years.
He gave up everything to get that silver medal.
Gave up in citizenship, I know, he gave up his homeland. Yeah. So I think like the thing for for the Olympics is continuing to build off it and having successes, uh with with the you know, just getting the players more in the boat. And I think like Japan, for in the men side, was more committed than Rio Rio was. Like I think there was like some there had to be some fomo from people that missed out on Rio.
Probably Rio looked really fun. Ricky Fowler was there, right, and Bubba.
Watson that's where he got the tattoo.
That's right, of course, how could I forget the tattoo. I remember Ricky Fowler hanging out, maybe even staying in the Olympic village and like bringing Bubba Watson along with him and being like, Hey, look at look at how
cool this is. This is really an amazing gathering of world class athletes, and I think golf being part of that is such an honor and such an opportunity, not just a financial opportunity like this is a this is this is some kind of deep experience that they could have, that golfers could have being being part of this congregation.
I'm a sucker for the Olympic spirit. I'm completely naive when it comes to that stuff, and so I just I just see that this as as a great chance for golf to be part of the international landscape of sports. But I wanted to pull on another thread in what you were saying earlier. You mentioned format tweaks that could potentially give this competition a little bit more juice, make it make it feel more important. I came up with a few ideas around this, not particularly original ideas, just
just simple things that could happen. But what do you what would be your proposal for an Olympic format.
I think the easy way that you build this without having to like tear everything down. I think you should have a Each team should have three players on it, and if your if your country doesn't can't get three players qualified, then you're just not part of the team competition. I think there has to be a team component to this.
So I would get three players, three three person teams, and I think you shorten the the the stroke play individual championship to maybe thirty six holes or you know, kind of just figure out, play around with what you want.
Have the top.
Yeah, they give out a medal, right, like that's a you know, and then I would have like the top eight teams qualify for three rounds of matches and then you crown a team champion. I think that would be awesome. I think there you'd see real camaraderie. It's not it's five rounds of golf. It's it's manageable, but you get that team and individual element to it. I think the team elements the thing that's lacking, you know.
I would love that and I agree that a team element would be great and would set this competition apart a little bit. I just don't. I don't really think it's gonna happen. Maybe that's too cynical. The reason they went with seventy two whole stroke play in the first place is that it's an easy to understand, an easily recognizable format. That's why they did it, just because they weren't willing to really take a chance.
I think the matchups would be incredible, Like you know, this is the bronze medal match for the team championship. You know, it's it's I always use the I always use. But like Chili, Chili could have a team with Mita Perro juaquin Neeman and I don't know who the third rank, but there has to be a player that's ranked in the top one thousand of though wgr from Chile. Like
that would be a legitimate team. You know, yeah, I think last year we did like a team, or last Olympics we might have done like a team calculation and Chili might have won. It was they were right up there with the American team.
The top end of Chile's golfing talent is is really really strong. All right, Well, so what I would propose a little more modestly, like I would obviously like there to be team match play. Who wouldn't want team match play? That's what all golf siccos want to see, And frankly, I think the wide appeal of it is a little bit underrated. Like the Ryder Cup works, so why wouldn't
Why wouldn't this work in the Olympics. But a little bit more modestly, if you maintained this event as an individual Olympic event, then at the very least you could say we'll have fifty four holes of stroke play, maybe even.
In feeling live format.
I know, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, l IV fifty four Yeah, sorry, sorry to all the lift fans out there. I wasn't going to acknowledge that until Andy called me out. So I'm a bad guy in any case, Maybe even like a thirty six cut, you get to fifty four holes of stroke play and then you have a playoff to define the first four seeds one, two, three, four. You get solo places for one, two, three four through a playoff. It would be a chaotic playoff. Maybe there will be
multiple playoffs, There'll be all kinds of scenarios there. It'd be a little be kind of similar to what they do for the metal placements right now, they have to do like a big complicated playoff. You would do that at the fifty four hole mark, and then you would have four players seeded one, two, three, four, and the next day you would have two matches. One is the gold medal match and one is the bronze medal match.
I would love to see that because I think what's really great and distinct about Olympic golf is the meaningfulness of silver and bronze, that second and third place really matter. Players are motivated to get those places. To me, a final day of match play that would earn players different medals would emphasize that tension, and it would be a
really great thing to watch. It would be the day of Olympic competition that you would have to tune into, right and and it would be something a little bit different.
Yeah, you know that. I like that. I like match play in general. I think like for the common fan, match play is actually easier to understand than stroke play.
It's intuitive, is this.
Guy this person versus this person. The other element of match play that I think is underrated, is it brings in the element of winner and loser, like the black and white defined element of is he won they lost?
The fourth place guy in that situation, the loser of the bronze medal match. Oh, that's brutal, you know.
They'd always be the guy, the guy that lost the bronze medal match. Do you remember the guy or gallop? Oh didn't didn't he lose in the bronze medal man a few years ago? Would be the how they That's how they would describe it.
Oh, yeah, yeah, exactly that that would be. That would be I lost.
I lost the bronze medal match. I like that.
It's a sad way to go. Yeah, no, I mean I I think that that would be a simple change, a relatively modest change that would introduce something, something new to it.
The other aspect I let I love about golf in the Olympics is the opportunity for the game, like other parts of the country or other parts of the world being exposed to the game. Like that's I think like there are there's an emphasis in countries that are placed on Olympic sports and development that goes into people that are playing Olympic sports because it's such a big deal for countries that are maybe an underdeveloped parts of the world. And I think that is a neat component to the Olympics.
And the component that you know that golf has get from that is like, you know, I saw the US Junior was being played at Oakland Hills last week and I was kind of monitoring matches. I saw one of the round of sixteen matches was between a player from Ukraine and a player from Vietnam, and like, those were two really good young players from those countries, and it's
like you start to think about it. It's like it would be really cool if someone from Ukraine won an Olympic medal, just like last year when someone from Slovakia or last Olympics when someone from Slovakia Olympic medal. I mean, but it would be fi need to see golf continue to develop in these other countries because I mean, like, I think anybody that's listening to this podcast believes in the virtues of the game of golf right, and and the that it's a great game to play and it's
a great game for kids to play. So I think like from from that standpoint, I just like, you know, I think like the pessimistic side of me is that and this is like the probably impact that you're now covering basically four years of golf pulling itself apart at the seams over money. Like the pessimistic side of me with the Olympics is like, because it's an unpaid appearance, the players will never take it as seriously as as they should and make it as cool as they could.
That's that's sort of what I'm worried about too. But the optimistic side of that is that this exposure that Olympic golfers might have to athletes who are world class but also like have a day job, don't earn millions playing their sport even though they're one of the best in the world at it. Then exposure to that kind of community, that kind of athletics is really good for golfers and might provide some clarifying perspective on why they're
doing what they're doing. I don't think any golfers out there got into the sport because they were interested in money. I think, pretty much to a man or to a woman, they got into it because they love golf and they found out that they were really good at it. It was about the game it eventually becomes about the money at some point in your career if you become successful.
But maybe this encounter with the community of that have athletes who really do it for the love of sport and not for any kind of monetary compensation, which simply isn't there for most Olympic sports. That encounter is very healthy and I hope, I hope that the golfers take advantage of it.
Also, just look at the way of an athlete, like the most recognizable athlete on the planet right now, Lebron, like what he puts into the Olympics, and that is an unpaid It's an unpaid position. And he's playing a sport where there are actual real ramifications of playing a exhibition where there are potential injury risks, you know, and such. We saw it with Paul George a few years ago on the men's Olympic team, where like he had a
career altering injury in a practice for it. You know, like this is Golf's a little bit less low stakes. But like look at that guy. That guy should be the highest paid athlete in the world. I think he's probably close to the highest paid maybe, you know, with all of his revit all of the money makes on and off the court, he cares about he like clearly cares dearly about the Olympics, gives it his all. He's
playing like is the NBA Finals out there? And and I think yes, And I just think that golfers and gen role they got off to really bad start with with this, Like Rio, I think, I think it like left a bad taste and fans mouths too, just the unseeriousness of how they took the inclusion, like it's an honor to be included in the Olympics, Like this is
a good thing for the sport. And I think, like the flip side, the last piece beyond that is is the PGA Tour buying in and accommodating the Olympics on the schedule and understanding, you know what, we can pause our season for two weeks every four years and give these guys, give the people that play the Olympics a chance, Like everything should be paused because there are players from corn Fairy Tour who have qualified, Like everything should just
be paused. It's okay, it's fine. The FedEx Cup's gonna be okay without you know.
They shouldn't hold the tournaments.
Yeah, I think they shouldn't because it happens.
On a pretty convenient part of the schedule already. I mean there's not much going on. Yeah, but if you as the three.
M you know, but if you're on the bubble of the playoffs and you have to play in the Olympics, that that's not good.
Like that, especially for like non American players, right, because the American players are all going to be top ten in the world for you know, for the foreseeable future. This this year, they're all top five players I think right, Rice into Shambeau is ninth in the owgr and he didn't even make the team. But yeah, for players from other countries that that would be certainly a factor.
Yeah. So I think that's the last piece of it. And maybe that, more so than player greed, is the the the thing that we'll we'll hold the Olympics back. I think there's this other thing with the tour is like they currently don't own any of the five most valuable properties and the four Majors and the Ryder Cup.
The Olympics threat.
Now, if the Olympics became fully realized now they wouldn't own any of the six biggest events in golf, so.
We probably don't want it to be that, yeah of the deal.
I think this is like a real consideration. Does the PGA Tour actually want the Olympics to succeed? And that's super sad for the game of golf if it's true that they don't want it to succeed.
I'd also point out that the LPGA Tour was playing an event last week and is also playing an event this coming week. And I'm not sure what's happening during the week of the women's Olympic competition itself, but it seems like maybe not a huge amount of accommodations are being made on that side either, And so I think golf in general just has to ask itself what does
the Olympics mean to us? But on that theme, though, I wanted to get your perspective on on what you think in Olympic metal, gold or otherwise means for an athlete's career, Like how how a golfer's career? How do we how do we contextualize that we know what a major means, we have an approximate idea of what a player's championship means. I would argue, like about half a major. We've got an idea of what those season long championships mean that the CME Globe and the FedEx Cup. Basically
they don't They don't mean much. They don't They don't tend to get mentioned that often unless a player you know has doesn't have any other high distinctions. Oh yeah, you want a fed X Cup.
So cup.
Patrick and Billy Horschell won a Cup. Yeah, which p XG once said was was a major in one of the great moments of early golf Twitter.
I forgot. I forgot that Billy was a p XG guy at the for a little while.
Yeah, Billy Herschel, He's really had quite a journey over the past few years. So in any case, where do you think an Olympic medal fits in that? Where do you think it could fit in that? Will it be something that we say, like this player won five majors and an Olympic gold medal, and the Olympic gold medal is a meaningful part of that.
I think it's to be determined right now, Like it's a part of like the Justin Rose. Like when you talk about Justin Rose, it's like, you know, he won a US Open, he won an Olympic gold. He's been super close in a ton of majors he's won. He was world number one, world number I think world number one would come before Olympic gold right now, yeah, TV, yeah right, if you were going down Xanders right now, I think Olympic gold would come pretty shortly after his
two majors. So I think it's to be determined.
But like.
I think, if we get another release quality set of Winner this year and then you've got Rivieric going next, I think the Olympics will have started to establish Like listen, like not nobody, no Schmoe's come out here and win the Olympics, right. I do think, like I was, I was talking the other part of this podcast is with Nicholas Colestarts and he was like, the the feeling on the first t is not like it was like the Ryder Cup. You know, there's a gravity to an Olympic medal.
I also one of the things I love about the Olympics is that it's not like there are three things that you're watching, like it's a super compelling event to watch on the last day because first, second, and third all matters so much. Because a bronze medal like you just think about the Olympics and like the medal count as a country. You know, if you're if you're for a country that has no medals and you could get
one medal, that you're national hero. I think that is the the unique thing that the Olympic springs is that Olympic medal. In terms of like the trophy. Everybody was talking about how great of a trophy the claret jug is. You know what's better than the Claric jug?
Gold medal?
A gold medal, gold medal, gold medal is unanimously yeah.
Have you ever held one? Have you ever like, yeah, they're heavy, right, they're very heavy. Yeah. I grew up swimming, right, and so occasionally we would get visited by by Olympic medalists and I held one of Janet Evans's gold medals, and I mean there was something about it. It was like, man, this is this is cool. It feels like this should be in a museum or something. But yeah, there is an absolute mystique and aura around that trophy.
I mean it's not just a gold medal. Two is a silver medal, Yeah, a bronze medal like.
Those are also really cool, you know, And I think.
Like from that that regard, I'm like super Bowl. I think a lot of people in golf are very down on the Olympics, and I am super bollish about their future. I am buying the.
Olympics, yeah, and I think that what's required is complete buy in right, go after it. Do what Colin Morikawa is doing this week. All credit to Colin for investing, showing up to the opening ceremony, going to other events. He is having the experience and doing the thing that needs to be done in order for this competition to really ascend. Ricky Fowler did his job at his Olympics as well, right, trying to make it significant and getting as much out of the experience as possible, learning from
other athletes, like participating in this commune. That's what the Olympics is about. It's an international community of athletes who love their sports and there's something so pure about that and it is really an honor to get to participate in it. And so the extent to which golf invests in the Olympics and truly commits to it, that is the extent to which this part of the Olympics, this event in the Olympics is going to be successful now
it is a true time. We'll tell situation though, because one thing about an event happening every four years is that, yes, it's special when it happens, like the World Cup. It's so cool when it happens because it only happens every four years. But the flip side of that is that it takes a long time for the event, for any given event that happens every four years, to gain momentum and to establish some kind of tradition and some kind of hold on the memories of the players and the fans,
right and we haven't gotten there yet with golf. We've only had two of them so far. And so the more we have great Olympic golf competitions, the more the event will gain some weight, gain some tradition and memory and you know, get all those things that that right now the other Olympic events have.
There has to be eventually, like the sport really the sport in the competition makes sense when you start to have kids or kids that become pro golfers, maybe that say, you know, I grew up watching golf in the Olympics, you know, because like right now, I think one of the things why the Masters is the maybe the granddaddy of them all is I grew up watching the Masters.
You know, like there's almost like a it's like a religion to it, where like it is a you know, it is people set aside the time and there's a real ritual around watching the Masters. But I think they're they're golf being in the Olympics has the opportunity to
have people stumble into the sport. And you know, we make fun of growth the game and all the I think the people that maybe exploit this phrase grow the game, but put putting golf in the position for millions of sports fans, especially from like a global sense, like in in places that you know aren't maybe that familiar with golf, giving them the opportunity, just the opportunity to stumble into the sport is a great, great part of golf being in the Olympics at the bare minimum.
Yeah, completely agree. So hoping for a good competition at the golf nasty.
Now I'm kind of in. I think I'm in on like golf nasty now.
Tell me why quickly.
I just I appreciate, I appreciate that it's very different from what I'm excited to watch a golf course that we don't see all the time, Okay, I mean we've seen it amount.
Ryder Cups. You know, the French Open. I don't what happened to the French Open and or the Open.
Let me tell you something. The finishes of the French Opens there were like exhilarating.
Yeah, they were pretty electric. That one.
It was it was it Levy, Alex Levy was in that one.
God, I don't remember, but I remember Tommy Fleetwood like sitting there watching people come are who were behind him on the day and that being pretty excited because the last.
Hole is like a true coming down the position.
Yeah. And there's there's a mixture of tough and and get a bowl holes. Yeah. It is a pretty effective stadium golf course for sure.
Yeah. And and like this was just over a French Open like there, I think it could be really fun course to watch with Olympic gold on the line, Like you could see some real meltdowns you could, And I I don't is our meltdowns our meltdowns the best the best finishes in golf.
Or no?
Do you like do you like the the occasion?
Yeah? I like the rising to the I mean, but both The answer is both, of course, right, And the reason that Augusta National is such a great tournament venue in back nine is that there's potential for both on that back night, right on the same hole often.
Right.
No, I mean, okay, I'm I'm I'm inclined to amp up the Olympic competition. Golf competition, however, is necessary because I want this to be a big thing that that you know, is part of the greatest sporting event in the world. But I think the golf is sort of like a Pete Die course without the personality.
Yeah, I don't basic think I could really want to play it. Ever, I I do. I think that there's every once in a while, I'm okay watching a golf tournament there. I think I'm brady to watch a golf tournament there this week.
Well, I think it's like it's a course that does prefer a certain playing style. And I think one thing about the US team, if we want to be nationalistic here for a second, is that there are a few players who are pretty well suited to this style. Of course. More,
Kawa is a great course fit here. I think Scheffler, Scheffler can is you know, Scheffler and Xander are sort of like all court players, they can do well anywhere, but Schaffle certainly has proven that at an accuracy test like the golf Nacy now where you know the golf Nascy now. Part of what makes it distinctive is that it truly does reward accuracy off the tea. It doesn't disincentivize distance, but it certainly incentivizes accuracy more than we're
used to seeing on regular PGA Tour courses. So I think Xander is well situated. Scheffler can do well anywhere, but he can do well on this kind of course. Wyndham Clark terrible course fit here. I mean for toasties. Yeah, don't you love the Argentinian team here? It's toasty and and and Grillo or Grillo Have we decided if it's Grio or Okay? Well, in any case, that's a that's a cranky duo. That's a I'd like I'd like to see them playing playing some team golf together. That would be fun.
Yeah, maybe they could get al Pato to run out around out the third spot.
He did well, he did el Pato's back. We don't we don't really want to talk about where he was. But but but he's back and doing well in in Senior Senior Majors.
Hey, Garrett Big, thanks for coming on and uh chatting about the Olympics and uh, that'll do it for today's show. Today's episode was edited and produced by PJ Clark Big. Thanks to PJ has been putting in a lot of the hours here, a lot of hours lately. As a quick reminder, you know, the best way you can support Frida Egg Golf is through our membership club tf In there you get a ton of different perspectives. There's a lot of articles about golf course architecture and golf courses.
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