IGF pleased with pitch to Olympic executive board

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The International Golf Federation has made its final pitch to make golf an Olympic sport at the 2016 Summer Games. Now the waiting begins.

IGF executive director Ty Votaw said he was pleased with Monday's 17-minute pitch -- which included appearances by golf stars Colin Montgomerie of Scotland and Annika Sorenstam of Sweden -- to the International Olympic Committee's executive board in Lausanne, Switzerland. Six other sports also are up for consideration, and the board will recommend two of those sports at its next meeting on Aug. 13.

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To learn more about the International Golf Foundation's bid for the 2016 Summer Games, please click here.

Watch the video

Here's a look at the International Golf Federation's official video that was presented to the executive board of the Olympic committee. Click here

If golf is one of the sports that is recommended, then there is one last step -- a vote by the entire IOC membership, which will take place at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, Denmark, in October.

"All I know is that we've done the best job we can do," Votaw said Tuesday morning. "We've told our story and answered all the questions. ... And we've conducted ourselves in the manner in which our sport is played."

The six other sports being considered for the 2016 Games are rugby, baseball, karate, roller sports, softball and squash.

"If we get in, we'll feel very good about that," Votaw said. "And if we don't, we'll congratulate the winners and move on."

During the IGF's presentation, a 4-1/2 minute video was shown in which 16 of the game's top personalities -- including Tiger Woods and IGF Global Ambassador Jack Nicklaus -- each spoke about the commitment they have and the impact it would make if golf were to become an Olympic sport. After the video ended, the IOC executive board applauded.

"We were gratified and very appreciative that the video was so well received," Votaw said.

Montgomerie and Sorenstam spoke for about a minute each.

Montgomerie discussed all the occasions he has represented his country and Great Britain in international competition and that the one thing he has always wished for would be to compete for an Olympic medal. As the 2010 European Ryder Cup captain, Montgomerie also said that he had spoken to a number of young players who hope to be on his team, and that they each felt the same enthusiasm toward the Olympics.

Sorenstam, who is serving as a Global Ambassador in support of the IGF's effort, spoke about how her travels around the world, experiencing different cultures, was made possible because of her golf career, and that golf has meant so much to her life. She then said she could think of no better way to grow the game than to have it become an Olympic sport.

"Annika and Colin especially articulated the views that the top players in the world are supportive of golf in the Olympics and would consider it a significant achievement," Votaw said.

The IGF representatives -- who, along with Votaw, Montgomerie and Sorenstam, included PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, LPGA of Japan President and World Golf Hall of Fame member Hisako "Chako" Higuchi and IGF Co-Secretary Peter Dawson -- then took questions for the final 10 minutes of the presentation.

Votaw said five questions were asked, including one about the governing structure of the IGF. Unlike other sports such as basketball's FIBA or swimming's FINA, the IGF is less of a governing body and more of a coordinating body to the organizations it represents, including all the major golf tours in the world, with a total of 121 countries involved.

Thanks to the cooperation among those organizations and countries, the IGF stressed that adjustments by its members to their summer schedules will ensure than no major championship conflicts or competes with the Olympic golf competition, thus allowing the sport's best athletes to be available to participate in the 2016 Games.

Another question during Monday's presentation concerned access to the game for children. Part of the IGF's response involved The First Tee program, an initiative of the World Golf Foundation that provides learning facilities and educational programs for young people.

Also, there was a question that focused on where the caddies would stay during the Olympics. "That was not a question we anticipated," Votaw said. But the response was a solid one -- caddies would be considered as integral members of the support team, just like coaches, trainers and other non-athletes in other sports, and would stay at the appropriate places with those other support-team groups.

The IGF will now take a wait-and-see approach for the next two months, but this may be golf's last chance to be reinstated as an Olympic sport. Golf last appeared in the Olympics in 1904, with only the United States and Canada competing.

"If we're recommended, that's better than the alternative," Votaw said. "But there are still a few more stops along the way."

And if golf isn't one of the two sports recommended?

"If it doesn't happen for 2016," Votaw said, " I don't see the opportunity for us to do it again."