THE Games of 1900 in the City of Light were a little potty by modern standards.
So muddled were they, in fact, that Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the Frenchman responsible for creating the Modern Olympiad, said afterwards: “It’s a miracle the Olympic movement survived these Games.”
The track and field events took place in the fashionable gardens of the Bois de Boulogne but local citizens weren’t keen on the idea and vetoed any allowances for the world’s finest athletes. The running events took place on a bumpy field and the throwing event were disrupted by the simple fact that there was insufficient space. Javelins often ended up stuck in trees and the discus ended up among spectators.
The swimming took place in the River Seine which was then, as now, as filthy to swim in as you might expect. There was a swimming obstacle race that year which sounds a lot like the final challenge in Gladiators with added water. Among other unusual events were the tug of war, barrel-rolling, artillery firing and long distance ballooning (the winner got close to Kyiv).
The golf was pretty peculiar, too. The men’s event was won by New York tennis player Charles Sands. A Scottish rugby international was third. A couple of American businessmen finished in the top eight and a Greek Royal Court Chamberlain was 11th in a field of 12 which was remarkable for its wide spread of ability. The last man, a Monsieur Van de Wynckele, finished 85 shots behind the winner in the 36-hole event.
Incredibly, the women’s event was even more astounding. The bare facts are enough. It was won by Margaret Abbott, an American who was studying art with her mother in Paris and happened to notice there was a 9-hole tournament taking place. They entered on a whim and Margaret won. When she died 55 years later aged 76, however, she was blissfully unaware that she had won an Olympic event.
No such anonymity for the Tokyo Olympic women’s winner Nelly Korda and in this week’s men’s competition Xander Schauffele, who completed a US double alongside Korda three years ago, will defend his title against a more competitive field than Paris witnessed 124 years ago.
That said, the 60-man field is top-heavy. But the opportunity of a shock does exist. In Tokyo, CT Pan overcame Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Paul Casey, Collin Morikawa, Sebastian Munoz and Mito Pereira in an epic play off to win bronze while the South African-born, United States-residing Slovakian Rory Sabbatini claimed silver (his wife is from Bratislava).
Host venue is the Albatross Course at Le Golf National near Versailles. We know it well from the Open de France and the 2018 Ryder Cup. It’s an exacting test with water a threat from the tee and into greens. At the Ryder Cup the rough was high in order to limit the options of the American big-hitters and it did, indeed, neutralise their threat. But reports indicate that the rough is nowhere near as thick this time around. Accuracy could still be important, however, because the course has quick-drying turf and, if the hot weather continues, the fairways could prove to be bouncy bringing all that water into play.
The column has enjoyed a good month, with Bob MacIntyre’s win in Scotland, a first round place for the fast-starting Thomas Detry and two profitable returns in the Open Halfway Report. Here’s hoping we start August in the same manner.
Win – Jon Rahm
The big Spaniard was one of our selections ahead of the Open and there was no doubt that he was on the comeback journey but he didn’t peak until claiming a first LIV win last week at the JCB golf & Country Club.
He was devastated when he had to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics because of a positive Covid test and has frequently discussed his excitement about representing Spain. “It’s a dream come true,” he said last week. “A dream that became a possibility only eight years ago for most of us, so it’s quite special. It’s one of the most impressive feats in sports to earn a gold medal. It’s something that very few people in history can do. To add to your country’s medal count is something special.”
He’s played Golf National three times. He was T10th on debut in the 2017 Open de France, spent all week in the top seven when fifth a year later, and he was part of the victorious European team in the Ryder Cup, when he defeated Tiger Woods in the singles. Fired up and hungry, he’ll be a big threat this week.
Each Way – Tom Kim
We’ll also keep the faith with the Korean youngster even though he missed the cut at Royal Troon. He made a point of playing the Open de France last year with this week in mind and he played excellently, carding an opening round of 64 to grab the first round leader and closing with a 68 for sixth place. Don’t overlook that earning a spot on the podium means more for Koreans golfers this week. If they dip their heads and have a medal placed around their necks they earn a pass on national service.
Each Way – Corey Conners
The Canadian hasn’t missed a cut since the middle of June last year and while he did celebrate making the weekend in his most recent start (the Open) with a Saturday 80 he rebounded with a 68 to land a ninth top 30 finish on the bounce. That’s solid enough form and his superb tee-to-green game looks a fine fit for this week’s test.
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