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IOC confirms golf bid application
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- Tiger Woods playing for a gold medal in Beijing in 2008? The International Olympic Committee said Wednesday it has received a formal application for golf to be included on the program in 2008. The petition was filed by the World Amateur Golf Council, which is comprised of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club (based in St. Andrews, Scotland) and the USGA. IOC sports director Gilbert Felli said negotiations were continuing with the PGA. Golf applied unsuccessfully to be included in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, and withdrew its petition for the 2004 Athens Games. Beijing is the front-runner in the race for the 2008 games, with Toronto and Paris as its main challengers. The vote on the host city will take place at the IOC session in Moscow on July 13. Golf joins a long list of sports seeking to be added to the Olympic program, including rugby, bowling, billiards, body building, ballroom dancing (dance sport), squash and surfing. Felli said the IOC would begin discussing the sports applications in September or October. If approved, golf would be open to all professionals, meaning Woods could compete for a gold medal at age 32. Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros have led a campaign for golf to be included in the Olympics. The IOC decided against adding any new sports for 2004. But Felli said the IOC hasn't ruled out adding one or two new sports for 2008. If any new sports are added, some will have to be removed. "It's easy to say welcome, it's very hard to say go home," Felli said.
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