International Golf Federation
PO Box 708
Far Hills, N.J. 07931
(908) 234-2300
#5, 6/22/01
For Release: Upon Receipt
http://www.wagc.org
E-mail address: mediarelations@usga.org

IGF APPLIES FOR 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES

Far Hills, N.J., U.S.A. - The International Golf Federation (IGF) has sent an application to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) requesting that golf be placed on the program of the 2008 Olympic Games.

On behalf of its member national federations, the IGF is seeking a return of the sport to the most important athletic event in the world. If accepted, golf would be back after an absence of 104 years - it was on the program of the Olympic Games in 1900 and 1904.

Golf is played by more than 60 million men and women on all the world's continents, and is ever increasing in number of participants. It is an extremely popular event for television viewing.

The proposed format is two competitions - one for men and one for women - each consisting of 72 holes of individual stroke play. There will be 50 players in each competition field. The top two players from any country listed in the top 300 of the official world rankings would be eligible. However, some wild card spots would be allotted to ensure representative continental fields.

Golf offers several benefits to an Olympic Organizing Committee. For example, no costly stadiums need to be erected as the game takes place in a natural, outdoor setting, and these venues already exist worldwide. Also, this new sport could become part of the Olympic Games by adding only 100 athletes, with no qualifying heats necessary. Finally, the lack of any subjectivity as regards to scoring is considered a positive feature of golf.

Developing the game of golf internationally - an invaluable and inevitable side effect of the sport's possible inclusion in the Olympic Games - offers several benefits to the world's citizens. It is a game that teaches honor and integrity, as players often serve as their own referees. It teaches patience and discipline.

Golf is one of the few sports where people of all ability levels can play a fair and even match, thanks to the game's widespread handicap and multiple tee system. It has proven to be an avenue for unity and opportunity for minorities, juniors, and athletes with disabilities. It is one of the few sports that can be enjoyably played for a lifetime, therefore offering perpetual health benefits to its participants.

The modern game of golf developed as early as the 15th century in Scotland, and countless international competitions have been contested ever since. It is the IGF 's hope that golf can be represented in the Olympic Games along with the world's other popular and historical sports.

The IGF , founded in 1958 to encourage the international development of the game and to foster friendship and sportsmanship among the peoples of the world, has been recognized as the International Federation for golf by the IOC since 1991.

For more information, please contact the Joint Secretaries of the IGF , Peter Dawson, Secretary of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland (44 1334 460 000) or David Fay, Executive Director of the United States Golf Association (001-908-234-2300). Also, please visit the IGF 's web site at www.wagc.org for more information about the proposal for golf in the Olympic Games.

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