The course, designed by American architect Gil Hanse specifically for the Rio Games, features wide fairways and no rough to account for wind that can get up to about 40 miles per hour, and already has this week. The IGF said about 58 percent of the tickets have been sold, with Sunday a sellout of 12,000. He later broke down in tears recalling how growing up he made clubs out of tree branches.
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The man of the moment, however, was Fraser who only found his way onto the Australian team when world number one Jason Day, 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones all declined Olympic selection. Downpours on Wednesday could soften up proceedings for Thursday’s early starters, but remember that this is a reduced 60-man field, so there is no real benefit in starting early as most of the field will be out within a couple of hours of each other.
“Very rarely do you get to represent your country”, said Fraser, who plays primarily on the European Tour.
“Right now I have the Olympic record”. Every major golf organization lobbied for its return, pledging support from the best players in the world.
The expected celebration surrounding golf’s reappearance on the Games program fell flat after the world’s four top-ranked players – Day, Americans Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy – opted out over the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
Through six holes Rose was at three-under, two shots back of clubhouse leader Graham DeLaet of Canada who carded an opening round 66.
Stenson is partnering Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello on Thursday in the last grouping.
“If you look at the leaderboard loads of people are in contention”, said Rose. “I know there were concerns”.
Willett claimed his first career green jacket with a victory at this year’s Masters, but has stumbled since capturing the spotlight, with his 37th-place finish at the U.S. Open marking his best performance.
The field of 60 is absent the world’s top four golfers but remains stout with the likes of Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer and the US foursome of Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar.
One unknown remains the size of the gallery.
“Hopefully we don’t have any encounters”, Fowler said. “Just before the tee off my head was everywhere, don’t goof this, don’t make a scene”.
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Only in Rio are players warned about the capybara (a large rodent) and the caiman (a small crocodile) as part of the wildlife on the course, along with the corujas, an owl that burrows in bunkers and could lead to some rulings. “This is competition at the highest level and what I live for”.
