FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 10th, 2016
NOTABLE QUOTES: GOLF CENTRAL LIVE FROM THE OLYMPICS (WEDNESDAY)
Golf Channel Notable Quotes
Golf Central Live From the Olympics
Wednesday, August 10
Olympic Golf Course, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
**Golf Central Live From the Olympics airs tonight at 6 p.m. ET and continues on Thursday morning, live, from 5-6:30 a.m. ET ahead of live Round 1 coverage of the Men’s Olympic competition, which begins at 6:30 a.m. ET Thursday on Golf Channel.**
VIDEO FEATURE: Golf’s Sandy Tatum Recounts Watching Jesse Owens Make History in 1936 Berlin Games
VIDEO FEATURE: Bangladesh Flag-bearer and Men’s Golf Olympian Siddikur Rahman’s Unique Path to Rio
For more Olympic Golf coverage on NBCOlympics.com, visit HERE.
On how golf differs from other Olympic sports
Brandel Chamblee – “Those harshest critics of golf’s inclusion in the Olympics have been answered by comments that like golf, tennis was slow to be embraced by the best players of that sport in 1988 when it [became an Olympic sport]. Tennis, like golf has a weekly reminder and a quarterly reminder in major championships of who the best players are. Watching [Novak] Djokovic get beaten in the first round this week you’re reminded of just how much it means to the athletes who have embraced the Olympics. Watching him get emotional and tear up as he was walking off the court, you’re reminded how much it means to be a part of the Olympics. This guy has all the fame and all the money and is competing in an event that does not reward you with money and does not reward you with world ranking points. It’s all about representing your country and competing. And I have no doubt that in time golf will be just like that with its inclusion in the Olympics.”
David Duval – “Although this is an individual event, it is representing [your] country. It is new territory in that sense. And I can only imagine that the nerves are going to be there as soon as they start and it’s going to continue for four days. Unfortunately like a lot of other events, it doesn’t just end in 30 seconds, 60 seconds… It’s going to take four days to see who wins and I think everyone is going to be nervous the whole time.”
On the 60-man field in the Men’s Olympic competition
Peter Jacobsen – “I think there are about 15 players that have a legitimate chance to win the gold [medal].”
Duval – “The margin of difference between the ability of the majority of players in this field in miniscule. It would be surprising I think if there is not somebody you wouldn’t expect on the podium.”
Frank Nobilo – “Seven years ago I was one of the naysayers for golf in the Olympics. But traditional means of spreading the game of golf around the world haven’t worked. So when you start to hear the stories of some of these respective athletes, maybe this is the vehicle that will spread it around. Just one little spark in the right area of the world actually could make a difference in golf where it has not worked before.”
On the newly constructed Olympic Golf Course
Jacobsen – “Not all great golf courses are fun, and not all fun golf courses are great. This course has a combination of both. I think this will go down as one of the great golf courses around the world.”
–Rio 2016–
