Pádraig Harrington says Olympic gold would mean more than a major

Winning Olympic gold in Rio next month would mean more to Pádraig Harrington than a fourth major title. Yet, as the International Golf Federation yesterday confirmed a field missing the world’s top-four ranked players for the men’s event in the sport’s first appearance at the Games since 1904, Harrington’s take appeared to be at odds with many of the game’s elite.

With 30 days to go before golf returns to the Olympics after its 112-year absence, IGF president and former R&A chief executive Peter Dawson spoke yesterday of disappointment and hurt at the number of withdrawals from the men’s competition that mean just 15 of the world’s top 50-ranked players will tee it up in Brazil.

World number three Jordan Spieth added his name to the list of absentees yesterday, meaning neither he nor numbers one Jason Day, two Dustin Johnston and four Rory McIlroy will spearhead the sport’s re-integration to the Olympic family.