Would you rather win The Players or an Olympic gold?

[BlackDiamondPar5]

It's an easy one. I'd rather win ANY PGA Tour event over an Olympic gold. 

I basically don't think Golf (along with a lot of other Pro sports) belongs in the Olympics.  

 

[RH82]

If money was a wash then Olympic gold all day every day.

[caniac6]

Players

[OldCuss]

4 hours ago, Rapidcat said:

Are you sure?

 

Those veterinarian bills can be expensive.

You have a good point, Rapidcat. Make that two Players ... and a lottery.

 

Old Cuss

[freeze16172002]

On 8/3/2021 at 7:57 AM, MPAndreassi said:

Given those circumstances, the Player’s. Prize money is too much to turn down as an average pro who only gets to win once. 

Any America playing golf in the Olympics has a large bank account to start with. Xander, Justin, Patrick and Collin are pretty much set for life

[smashdn]

4 hours ago, MattyO1984 said:

Obviously the Olympics is unpaid but have there been rough figures for how much extra sponsorship money winning a Gold medal would have. 

 

 

Don't know the answer but wanted to throw out, other than clubs and ball, was there any sponsor exposure to be had?  Only logos on XS's track suit were "USA" and the swoosh.

 

From an on-course sponsor perspective it didn't amount to much.  But now I guess XS's sponsors can say they are aligned with an Olympic gold medalist.

[ezpz]

olympics. plenty of other ways to make money...

[iBanesto]

8 hours ago, grm24 said:

In 2012 Tiger easily makes the hypothetical Olympic team on his world ranking.

http://www.owgr.com/en/Ranking/PlayerProfile.aspx?playerID=5321&year=2012

 

In 2008 he would have been favored but wouldn't have played due to his leg injuries.

 

2004 - either Vijay or Tiger would have been favourite.

[StlEER]

1 hour ago, smashdn said:

 

 

Don't know the answer but wanted to throw out, other than clubs and ball, was there any sponsor exposure to be had?  Only logos on XS's track suit were "USA" and the swoosh.

 

From an on-course sponsor perspective it didn't amount to much.  But now I guess XS's sponsors can say they are aligned with an Olympic gold medalist.

There are (or were) some rules about sponsors and the Olympics. If you aren't an official Olympic sponsor, you don't have the rights to show IOC images. At least that is my 40,000 foot understanding. Rule 40.

[manku]

14 hours ago, OldCuss said:

Players.

 

Money conservatively invested to greater guarantee:

 

Wife taken care of for life,

Dogs taken care of for life, 

Ability to do the type of work I most enjoy, and

Two-week annual vacation.

 

Old Cuss

two week vacation.  
 

try 6-8 weeks, minimum.  
 

 

[MPAndreassi]

2 hours ago, freeze16172002 said:

Any America playing golf in the Olympics has a large bank account to start with. Xander, Justin, Patrick and Collin are pretty much set for life

That wasn’t the question posed by the OP.

 

 The question was if were a Tour pro and could only win one event, would it be Player’s or the Olympics. 

[8602081]

If you are Korean citizen.. definitely Olympics.

 

If you win Gold, you are exempt from serving in military (2 years I think)

 

 

[BHI 99]

I’d rather win the most podunk PGA Tour event than a gold medal. 

 

[MattyO1984]

2 hours ago, smashdn said:

Don't know the answer but wanted to throw out, other than clubs and ball, was there any sponsor exposure to be had?  Only logos on XS's track suit were "USA" and the swoosh.

 

From an on-course sponsor perspective it didn't amount to much.  But now I guess XS's sponsors can say they are aligned with an Olympic gold medalist.

 

Yeah my thinking is post Olympics. Everyone knows who has won the Gold medal, surely the increased exposure from that would result in players agents bringing it up with sponsors and partners when it comes time to renegotiate. 

[FriedEgg]

The Players

[freeze16172002]

1 hour ago, MPAndreassi said:

That wasn’t the question posed by the OP.

 

 The question was if were a Tour pro and could only win one event, would it be Player’s or the Olympics. 

you're the one that took money into account, but when someone responds to your post then money wasn't question from the op. Got it makes sense...BTW how many times does a tour pro get to win the Olympics?

Edited August 4, 2021 by freeze16172002

[Ric0485]

I'll take winning the players.  Everybody knows Sawgrass and what it takes to win there vs an international course that I haven't heard of that was playing softer that my local muni

[Tristram]

Considering the way the original question was edited, it'd be the Olympics all the way for me (and for Tony Finau as well, I guess).

[bladehunter]

Yes. Any pga tour event is greater than Olympic gold.  The $ and exemptions speak for themselves  

[JaNelson38]

The Olympic gold medal in golf doesn't mean as much as in other sports because it's not the pinnacle of the sport.

 

For things like swimming and track & field, or gymnastics, where your Olympic success determines things like legacy, marketability, sponsorship, etc, it absolutely matters a ton (like Simone Biles, for example.  Other than the Olympics and associated ads, where do you see her?).  Winning the gold (or any medal for that matter) is THE goal for athletes like that, because there is no professional 'league'.  For a guy like Xander Schauffele, winning the gold doesn't guarantee him anything in his PGA Tour career.  This is the bottom line when guys like DJ, Koepka, and others simply don't take the Olympics that seriously.  It pisses off the media because it waters down the event for TV viewing, and its why you're seeing the huge push amongst the golf media to make the Olympics some sort of can't-miss event for the players.  

 

I'd be willing to bet at least half of the golf-following public has already forgotten the 3 male golf medalists from the 2016 games in Rio.  And I couldn't tell you who won the 3 golf medals on the women's side from 2016 without looking it up.

Edited August 4, 2021 by JaNelson38

[sekrah]

18 hours ago, From_Parts_Unknown said:

It would be really cool if Tiger could qualify for 2024 and win gold.  Just think how many gold medals that guy might have if golf had returned to being an Olympic sport by the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Most likely just 1 in 2000, with maybe a 10% chance at a 2nd one in 2008.

 

It would be really cool if Tiger could just play a casual round of golf again. That seems pretty long odds right now, let alone him worrying about the Olympics at nearly 50 with enough titanium in him to build a space shuttle.

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by sekrah

[damayason]

Gold medal.

 

Briny Baird made $13M on tour without a win at a time when prize money was a fraction of what it is today.

[gvogel]

On 8/3/2021 at 7:47 AM, RCGA said:

You're a average PGA Tour player who will only ever win one tournament in your career: The Players or an Olympic gold in golf.

 

Which one are you taking and why?  

 

Edit: Let's say money isn't an issue, and you're Tony Finau who's already a millionaire but really hasn't won anything meaningful. 

A better question would be, if you are a World top 25 player, would you rather have a Player's Championship or a Gold Medal.

[PorkChopExpress]

Players, Golf should not be an olympic sport

[DFS PFD]

This isn't even a question, Player's all day (even if it's not a major 😉). Too many events in the Olympics that don't belong have watered down their value, not to mention the other recent virtues involved or political statements. Golf shouldn't be in the Olympics at all, in it's current state, it's such a weak format as SOF is concerned. Needs to either be top amateur's only (preferable), or a field like a international major golf tournament to mean anything. 

[Naptime]

Are you going to hawk cereal or golf balls?  If you are asking the general public, they all know Olympic medals.  Most have no clue about the Players.  

[c7015]

probably going to take the money 

 

however if I am an established pro (similar to Xander) no majors , few wins (enough in the bank) bright future etc , give me the gold , that lives on in history more than a players win does IMO 

 

If i'm sleeping in the back of my corolla , Monday qualifying kind of pro I'm taking the cash and the exemptions without batting an eye ...

 

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

2 hours ago, JaNelson38 said:

This is the bottom line when guys like DJ, Koepka, and others simply don't take the Olympics that seriously.

 

This is the bit that I don't get. I don't understand why someone would choose not to participate in the Olympics. 

 

Yes, it's a softer field than a major. Yes, it's not exactly the pinnacle of the sport.

 

But it comes around once every 4 years, and how many opportunities in your life are you going to even have the chance to walk away with an Olympic gold medal? 

 

It may not be as big of an accomplishment to many as the Masters, either Open, or even the Players, but isn't just the ability to say that you've won Olympic gold too cool of an opportunity to pass up?

 

Maybe it's not the biggest accomplishment in the sport, but I'd venture a guess that Xander is going to treasure that medal the rest of his life regardless. 

[c7015]

1 minute ago, c7015 said:

probably going to take the money 

 

however if I am an established pro (similar to Xander) no majors , few wins (enough in the bank) bright future etc , give me the gold , that lives on in history more than a players win does IMO 

 

If i'm sleeping in the back of my corolla , Monday qualifying kind of pro I'm taking the cash and the exemptions without batting an eye ...

 

 

as a side note, if I'm pro # 2 as soon as I win I switch camps and I start lobbying for the players to be a major.

 

"Well back when I won a major ..."

"which one ?"

"the 5th one ...the players "

"crickets" 

[kenoli22]

If i was South Korean, gold medal, since I'm not, Players.