Do Jason, Jordan, Adam et al regret not playing the Olympics?

[Jeff Bergeron]

I'm thinking they do.

[Tim Leahy]

No they dont. It is still just an exhibition.

[jeffwarne]

I'm thinking they do.

Guarantee you they do.
I'd put them at the back of the line for the next as well.
Save it for those who proved they wanted it badly and made it happen .

[Mike Sweeney]

It is still just an exhibition.

An exhibition in the middle of thousands of world class athletes that have been focused on one thing for four years. Their event ends, and their thoughts turn elsewhere:


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/olympics/hookup-games-tinder-usage-up-among-athletes-at-rio-olympics/2016/08/09/e13ac2cc-5e8b-11e6-84c1-6d27287896b5_story.html


Ignoring the click bait "Sex at The Olympics" journalism, there is nothing I would have loved to do more in life than The Olympics. Name the obscure sport, I am in....

[Tom_Doak]

They are probably second-guessing themselves because none of the guys who went to play has gotten sick, got robbed at knifepoint, etc.


They are probably also watching thinking the field is weak and they would have had a good chance to medal.  I think that down deep, the idea that you either finished in the top 3, or came home empty, had an influence on their decisions not to try.


However, based on Mr. Sweeney's post, maybe their significant others are happy their boys stayed home    and the Zika threat was not their first concern.

[jeffwarne]

They are probably second-guessing themselves because none of the guys who went to play has gotten sick, got robbed at knifepoint, etc.


They are probably also watching thinking the field is weak and they would have had a good chance to medal.  I think that down deep, the idea that you either finished in the top 3, or came home empty, had an influence on their decisions not to try.


However, based on Mr. Sweeney's post, maybe their significant others are happy their boys stayed home    and the Zika threat was not their first concern.

pretty sure Fowler's having a good time....

[MClutterbuck]

They are probably second-guessing themselves because none of the guys who went to play has gotten sick, got robbed at knifepoint, etc.


They are probably also watching thinking the field is weak and they would have had a good chance to medal.  I think that down deep, the idea that you either finished in the top 3, or came home empty, had an influence on their decisions not to try.


However, based on Mr. Sweeney's post, maybe their significant others are happy their boys stayed home    and the Zika threat was not their first concern.

Tom,


Rory lives in Florida, right? 322 Zika cases, 6 locally acquired. Jordan in Texas, 99 cases. Jason, Ohio. 26 cases. They might have postponed risk by a few months at best. All 3 states have the AA vector.


Assuming Rory really wanted to play prior to the Zika scare, logic would indicate that if he moves out of Florida his perceived risk is high and he will not regret skipping Rio. If he stays in Florida and plays next year in the various tournaments in Florida, the only logical conclusion is his risk assesment was off a few months ago and will regret his decision. Of course, if his girlfriend is pregnant, he will not have any regrets.


As an aside, if Stenson wins today, will he be player of the year? I think so.

[Keith Phillips]

Koooooch!  I'm with Jeff...those who chose to take the week off should be at the back of the line for selection next time!

[Terry Lavin]

I guess it comes down to how often they want to play for nothing for their country.  I can't think of a comparable situation in another professional sport where the top athletes are guilted into playing in an annual tournament/exhibition only to be expected to play in the quadrennial Olympics.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Koooooch!  I'm with Jeff...those who chose to take the week off should be at the back of the line for selection next time!

How do you do that, given the fact that the selection is based on OWGR points?

[Keith Phillips]

Wayne, yes you are right and youngsters like Spieth will undoubtedly earn a spot in future years...though I would like to see a team format introduced to the Olympic tournament, with (say) the top 8 countries sending four-man (and woman) teams, with perhaps the 4th player being a captain's pick.


And yes you are right about the Ryder Cup and President's Cup etc. asking a lot of the players - the golfing calendar is packed and it's tougher for the players to fit the Olympics into their calendars than it is for the tennis players for instance.


Having said all that, I think you'll see some pretty emotional medalists in a few hours' time and I suspect Jason, Rory, Jordan et. al. will be doing a little soul-searching...I loved Garcia's comment last night ("Whoever said @OlympicGolf didn't mean anything must've been on drugs cause this is absolutely amazing!!Coming to Rio, my best decision ever!")


I should add that I'm being somewhat hypocritical, as I am currently discouraging my 25-year old daughter from attending a wedding in the rain forest of Puerto Rico this coming January due to the zika scare there! (the betrothed are thinking hard about shifting the venue back north given the concerns of many)

[William_G]

no doubt they regret it as it has been a great success...if it had come off worse, then maybe not

they all have made so much money, and will continue to do so, that if they had to be guilted into it, then stay home as they did

live and learn boys

[jeffwarne]

I guess it comes down to how often they want to play for nothing for their country.  I can't think of a comparable situation in another professional sport where the top athletes are guilted into playing in an annual tournament/exhibition only to be expected to play in the quadrennial Olympics.

You didnt just compare the Presidents' Cup to The Olympics did you?

[Wayne_Kozun]

You didnt just compare the Presidents' Cup to The Olympics did you?

I don't think you could compare the Ryder Cup to the Olympics either.  Being in the middle of a sports event like the Olympics is much more of an experience than being part of the Ryder Cup and that is what those attending seem to be really enjoying.

[Terry Lavin]

I guess it comes down to how often they want to play for nothing for their country.  I can't think of a comparable situation in another professional sport where the top athletes are guilted into playing in an annual tournament/exhibition only to be expected to play in the quadrennial Olympics.

You didnt just compare the Presidents' Cup to The Olympics did you?

The PC is a joke but they are pretty much forced to play, aren't they?  It's just the matter of free labor for the benefit of corporations and a thoroughly corrupt organization. If this was all about amateur athletics and national pride, I might buy this bullshit, but I don't.

[Wayne_Kozun]

The PC is a joke but they are pretty much forced to play, aren't they?  It's just the matter of free labor for the benefit of corporations and a thoroughly corrupt organization. If this was all about amateur athletics and national pride, I might buy this bullshit, but I don't.

The PC isn't a joke to those of us in nations not eligible for the RC.  And there have been times when the ROW team was, on paper, the strongest of the three teams when Els, Goosen, Singh, etc were at their prime.  The PC is also the highest profile event, with the exception of the Olympics, to be played outside of the US and UK (with the rare exception of the RC being played on the Continent/ROI).

What is becoming a joke is the Solheim Cup given the lack of eligibility for the top golfers like all of the Koreans, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson, etc.  Only 3 of the top 16 female golfers are eligible to play in the Solheim Cup.

[Terry Lavin]

Wayne,

I hear you. I'm speaking from my perspective as an American.

[Ruediger Meyer]

They are probably second-guessing themselves because none of the guys who went to play has gotten sick, got robbed at knifepoint, etc.

Good thing, Ryan Lochte is not a golfer...

[Tim Leahy]

They are probably second-guessing themselves because none of the guys who went to play has gotten sick, got robbed at knifepoint, etc.

Tom, you spoke too soon. Ryan Lochte and several other swimmers were robbed at gun point last night.

[Tim Gavrich]

Rose looked more emotional as the Gold Medalist than as U.S. Open champion. The pros who couldn't be bothered to turn out are great banner-carriers for all the reasons most of the world thinks golf and golfers are lame. Their prerogative, of course, to be lame.

[John Kavanaugh]

Lochte admitted to peeing in the pool. Karma...

[Terry Lavin]

Rose looked more emotional as the Gold Medalist than as U.S. Open champion. The pros who couldn't be bothered to turn out are great banner-carriers for all the reasons most of the world thinks golf and golfers are lame. Their prerogative, of course, to be lame.

Rose surely looked emotional, but Stenson won the bigger trophy this year.

[John Kavanaugh]

Emotion is how you cash an Olympic check.

[Matthew Essig]

Rose looked more emotional as the Gold Medalist than as U.S. Open champion. The pros who couldn't be bothered to turn out are great banner-carriers for all the reasons most of the world thinks golf and golfers are lame. Their prerogative, of course, to be lame.

Rose surely looked emotional, but Stenson won the bigger trophy this year.

In size, yes. In meaning and magnitude, no.

[Jeff Bergeron]

Rose looked more emotional as the Gold Medalist than as U.S. Open champion. The pros who couldn't be bothered to turn out are great banner-carriers for all the reasons most of the world thinks golf and golfers are lame. Their prerogative, of course, to be lame.

Rose surely looked emotional, but Stenson won the bigger trophy this year.

It's a close call but I'm not sure that is correct.