August 2021 Ohio Golf Journal

Is Olympic Golf really necessary? Only players in the top 60 in the world are invited and they can invite one countryman to join them. It is not really a team event. There are a couple of minor golf countries involved, but is that exposure to lure new fans to the game warranted? The U.S. had four top name players in the field. Dustin Johnson earned a spot, but decided his time was better spent staying at homewith Paulina. Bryson DeChambeau was looking forward to hitting bombs over Tokyo but was derailed by a negative COVID test. Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed provided a formidable American presence. When Reed, who had played in the 3M Championship in Minnesota, found out he was to be DeChambeau’s replacement, he was not able to arrive in Japan until Wednesday evening and only viewed the course from a cart before teeing it up on Thursday morning. Kasumigaseki Country Club The East Course at Kasumigasecki Golf Club is a beauty and has a wonderful history, but it was a birdie fest for the top players. It appears Fazio did an acceptable job of preparing the course for the Olympics. His signature deep bunkers with sharp edges and movement around the green complexes were visually pleasing, but this is a country club course, better suited for a member- guest event than an international tournament with professional skills. It was obvious that the USGA was not involved in setting up the course. Ohio Golf Journal