Antony Scanlon: Golf set for a memorable return to the Olympics

Anand Datla

May 26, 2016: Golf is on the cusp of an historic Olympic run. And the International Golf Federation is at the centre of a co-ordinated effort to facilitate the return of the game into the Olympic fold. Even before the first tee shot in Rio has been struck, the development has garnered global attention building up excitement worldwide. Golfing Indian caught up with Antony Scanlon, the Executive Director of the International Golf Federation in an exclusive chat.

Tony spoke at length about the excitement around the return of golf to the Olympic fold. “We have been working since 2009 with the active support of our major golf tours around the world. Our team has been in active conversation with the International Olympic Committee and Rio Olympics to iron out the details surrounding the event.”

“A tremendous amount of effort has been made to ensure that a world class course is provided for the golfers when they arrive to play in Rio. The course designed by Gil Hanse is of international standards, proving to be a great test of skill and temperament,” added an optimistic Scanlon. “We believe that the event will create a great legacy for the game in Rio, even beyond the Olympics.”

We asked Tony, if the withdrawal of some top players such as Adam Scott is affecting the spirit of participation. “There have been a few instances of player withdrawals, but there has been unprecedented excitement among golf professionals,” said Scanlon. “Golfers do not get too many opportunities to play for their country and the opportunity to live inside the Olympic village with other international athletes is creating plenty of buzz among the professional ranks.”

The Olympics has also resulted in an immediate expansion of the IGF with national bodies joining in the movement, as representative entities. He informed us that the membership of the IGF has increased from 105 to 146, courtesy of the Olympics.

Scanlon also spoke about the prospect of international stars such as Hideki Matsuyama and Anirban Lahiri raising the profile of golf in Asia. He believes strongly that their success will draw more interest in the region and the telecast of golf from Rio will help reach out to new audiences at an unmatched scale.

Golfing Indian asked Scanlon if he had a taste of India. “I was a cricketer during my younger days,” said the Executive Director. “So I have a deep interest in the Indian Premier League. Sachin Tendulkar is a global icon. I was also very excited to watch Bishen Bedi trouble batsmen with his outstanding spin bowling.

Unfortunately, I have yet to visit the country. It is on my list of places to travel and I expect to travel to India either in my professional capacity or personally, sooner rather than later.”

Scanlon also reflected on the need for innovation in golf. “The relationship between Topgolf, PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour have created a unique opportunity for the growth of the game,” he said. “Topgolf is able to offer a real taste of golf in a variety of settings. I expect people to be drawn through this initiative, with the introduction of an increasing number of young children to the game of golf.”

He reiterated IGF’s commitment to work with local federation to strengthen the structures around coaching and facilities. “We are working with the R&A to learn from their experiences and support development programs aimed at growing the game around the world.”

Rio On IGF’s goals at the Olympics, Tony chose to turn the focus squarely on the players. “We wish to create a unique experience for our players. We want to do everything possible to make our players happy. If we can make the games memorable for our players, they will only be too eager to return when the Olympics goes to Japan in 2020.”

With such high levels of commitment and a clear vision, Antony Scanlon and the IGF are well on their way to produce a successful event for golf at Rio in 2016.