(ATR) Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club Billy Payne tells Around the Rings he is supportive of golf joining the Olympic sports program and that the Olympics are the best and largest platform to showcase the sport in the world.
Payne spoke about golf's addition to the Olympic program at the press conference on the eve of the annual Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia.
ATR editor Ed Hula is on-the-scene at Augusta National and asked Payne about how golf's inclusion in the Olympics will help the sport.
"The Olympics are the world's largest and best platform to showcase sport," Payne says. "It will encourage national pride. These countries want to win medals and patriotism will be one of the driving forces of golf worldwide."
"The support that's needed to expand golf courses will follow once countries realize there's immense national pride at stake," Payne tells ATR.
Prior to becoming chairman one of the most famous golf courses in the world, Payne served as the president of the Atlanta 1996 Olympic bid. As the Rio 2016 Olympics approach, Payne says people shouldn't be concerned about the issues such as Zika and the Brazilian government meltdown as "these issues come up all the time".
"Every Olympics in the final months to the games is beset by a host of doubts and concerns that things won't be ready in time," Payne says. "When national pride is at stake, everyone will pull together, that's what we'll see in Brazil this summer."
ATR editor Ed Hula joins ATRadio to tell us more about Payne's thoughts on the Olympics. Listen to the full interview with Ed Hula below:
Written by Kevin Nutley
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