Rio de Janeiro - Jaco van Zyl acknowledged that the game of golf may have already done too much PR damage, thanks to their dismissive attitude of the Olympics.
“The damage has been done, unfortunately. But I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” he said.
“I can only speak for myself, but this rates as highly as a Major or a World Golf Championship event. It’s only every four years. It’s very special.”
He did concede that the amateur game may treat the hallowed stage with a bit more respect, and the lure of being part of this incredible month may keep the cream of the unpaid crop around for a few years longer.
“Imagine being a youngster, knowing that you’ve got the Olympics to look forward to in four years. As a pro, I hope it doesn’t, because I would love to experience all this again.”
Speaking after his first sighting of the Olympic Course, Van Zyl admitted that they are in for a terrific test of golf, and that medals will be hard earned.
“We saw the front nine, and with the wind the way it was, it was a really good test.
“They say that the back nine is even tougher, so it’s going to be very interesting.”
Van Zyl arrived on Sunday in Rio, though he has been hard at work back home, honing the skills that he hopes will reap a historic medal.
“I’ve been spending a lot of time working on the short game, because that will be crucial around here. I’m feeling really good about that,” he said.
Van Zyl added that the greens in Rio are deceivingly slick, as he found out on his first green.
“If you’re putting downhill, you’re in for some fun and games. The course is playing long and hard.”
The field that Van Zyl is up against is still particularly strong, with Open champion Henrik Stenson, Masters winner Danny Willett and his compatriot Justin Rose, and Americans Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar and Patrick Reed all hunting for gold.
“The guys that are here are fully behind it, and it’s awesome to see. Golf will still be around in 2020, so how we play this week will go a long way to hopefully keeping us in the Olympics beyond that.”
But the politics and the public relations are not Van Zyl’s priority this week. He is out to find a way to get to the weekend on contention, and then see what happens.
“The winning score is not going to be someone shooting the lights out, I don’t think.”
Independent Media