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As the new year dawns, an increasing amount of talk in golf figures to focus on the Olympics. With the start of the men’s Olympic tournament in Tokyo less than seven months away, Rory McIlroy has pledged to compete in the games for the first time, representing Ireland, and Tiger Woods has made it no secret that playing for the United States is among his 2020 goals.
The hardest team in the world to make is not even up for debate. It’s the South Korean women’s Olympic golf team. So competitive is the South Korean team that, at this moment, its second alternate is the player of the decade and reigning gold medalist, Inbee Park.
Justin Rose’s 2016 gold-medal performance in Rio de Janeiro belied the Great Britain team’s somewhat scattered approach to the Olympics, writes Lewine Mair.
After falling into a playoff with a 72nd-hole bogey, Justin Thomas won the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua, prevailing on the third extra hole against Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele.
For better or worse, Reed is not afraid to be himself, making him a bit like anchovies: strong, salty and a taste not everyone acquires, writes Ron Green Jr.
Dustin Johnson, who is seeking to rebound from a relatively quiet period following knee surgery last fall, showed signs of life at Kapalua.
Scotland’s Stuart Wilson has been named as Great Britain & Ireland’s captain for this year’s St Andrews Trophy at Royal Porthcawl and next year’s Walker Cup at Seminole, writes Colin Callander.
New year’s resolutions in golf, while perhaps noble, are essentially useless, this week’s instalment of The Divot observes.
Mike Cullity
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