Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson fall victim to cruel Olympic decisions as patriotic dreams still suffer
Imagine being the best player in the world for a long time and not being able to compete in the Olympics. As you might imagine, neither Phil Mickelson nor Tiger Woods ever represented Team USA, even at the height of their careers. There was a time when golf was as well-known as Woods and Mickelson, but unfortunately these golfers weren’t playing in the right era to compete in the Olympics. Coincidentally, golf made its Olympic debut in the far-away French summer of 1900. It returned in 1904 but was forgotten for over a century. After a 112-year absence, golf returned to the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.
However, by that time, Mickelson and Woods’ reputations and ratings were in decline. From June 1997 until two years before the Rio Games, Woods held the top spot for thirteen long years! Mickelson also held the second spot for 270 weeks since 2001 and has long been a leader in the rankings.
But all of these accomplishments proved useless in the face of the demands of Olympic qualification. Woods’ injuries, Mickelson’s age and his ties to LIV Golf slowly diminished their chances of qualifying.
By the time golf returned to the Olympics, both Woods and Mickelson were older and had been swept aside by a new generation of golf stars. Of course, Olympic qualification requirements didn’t help in this matter, and DeChambeau fans were equally incensed this time around that the LIV golfer didn’t get to represent Team USA, despite coming in at the top of the game this year. When golf was reintroduced into the Olympics in 2016, there was debate over whether it should even be an Olympic sport at all. And here’s what you need to know about him. Sports Illustrated senior columnist Michael Rosenberg listed all the reasons why golf should not be an Olympic sport in 2016. Among other reasons, he pointed out that the Olympics require their sports to consider the Olympic platform as their highest honor. However, for any golf player, this has invariably become the main names that were of the greatest importance, according to most criticism and players themselves.
He also indicated how Olympic sport wants the best players on the field. But as we saw in the cases of Tiger Woods and Mickelson, the current generation faces a similar ruling. Because LIV golf is different from the combined PGA Tour League and European Tour League, the OWGR was unable to formulate specific scores for inclusion. Many LIV golfers who have the ability and skill to be at the top don’t get the chance, Bryson DeChambeau is a great example at the moment. Rosenberg also noted that good stadiums and other requirements for Olympic inclusion, essential for the growth of the sport, have not met expectations. This is true, and golf has continued to evolve in the more than 100 years since it was an Olympic sport. Moreover, as many fans and commentators have already pointed out, the Olympics, with only 60 athletes participating, is not living up to expectations.
