PGA Tour's Votaw Feels Good With Efforts To Get Golf In Olympics

Votaw Discusses Golf's Efforts To Be Included In Olympics

PGA Tour Exec VP/Communications & Int’l Affairs Ty Votaw said the Tour feels “very good about what we’ve been able to do so far in the presentations that we’ve made” concerning its efforts to make golf an Olympic sport. Votaw: “I’ve never seen the level of unanimity we have had in all the top golf organizations around the world in trying to get golf into the Olympics.” He noted that is something the IOC “has asked us for: one voice and do the top players support it? We’ve said that and we’ve proven that.” Votaw said golf becoming part of the Olympics is important because there is “no single example of something that can help grow the game faster and on an accelerated scale.” He said, “For many countries around the world, unless you are an Olympic sport, you don’t get the kind of government assistance, you don’t get the kind of funding, you don’t get the level of resources associated with other Olympics sports. … It doesn’t necessarily do as much for golf in developed countries in the short-term. But in the long-term, we think that if there is an overall growth in the game on a global basis, that’s going to accrue to the PGA Tour’s benefit over time” (“19th Hole,” Golf Channel, 5/6).