Perhaps Jordan Spieth will use the coming days to convince Adam Scott, Olympic golf’s most high-profile cynic, of the merits in the sport’s return to the Games. Spieth insisted in Sydney on Tuesday that he will be treating the Rio event as “a fifth major” in 2016.
Spieth and Scott are both in the field for the Australian Open, which begins on Thursday. The normally reserved Scott last week reiterated his indifferent stance towards golf and the Olympics by claiming Rio “is not really a priority of my scheduling”. “Some time off looks quite good actually,” he added.
The world No1, who holds the Masters and US Open, has an opposing view. “Just competing in the Olympics, just walking the opening ceremony, staying in the village and doing whatever it is, meeting these incredible athletes from around the world, hopefully that’s something I’ll be able to experience next August,” said Spieth.
“Winning a gold medal has got to be up there now, in my mind, with winning a major championship.”
Spieth is already all but certain to qualify for the United States team. “I’ve been asked the question: a Green Jacket or a gold medal?” he added. “A Wanamaker Trophy [for winning the USPGA Championship] or an Open Championship or a gold medal?
“That’s not fair. I think this year we’re going to approach it as a fifth major and we’re going to prepare like it is. I’m going to go down there and try and take care of business.”
In May, Scott claimed that Olympic golf – which will return after a 112-year absence – represents “an exhibition event”.
Where Spieth and Scott may be in agreement is with the individual format of Olympic golf resembling missed opportunity. There will be inevitable calls to change that for the 2020 Games.
“It is going to be very difficult. You will have some great Aussies down there, Englishmen, your own countrymen that you are trying to beat,” Spieth explained.
“It is not a team event in golf, I think unfortunately, but I will go down there and approach it like a major.”
In Sydney, Spieth returns to the venue that kickstarted an incredible run of success 12 months ago. The 22-year-old disputed that he cannot possibly produce equal or better achievement in 2016.
“You have to approach it like you can improve,” said Spieth. “I could go without missing a cut for a year, for example. I could have that consistency of golf. I missed four last year, I like playing weekends; so there are ways to improve at that.
“There is a chance it can all come together and we can improve on last year. I believe that. There would be no point in my setting lofty goals to just settle for something less than I have already done.”
