Golf makes play for Olympic inclusion

A bid has been lodged with the International Olympic Committee to include golf in the 2008 Games.

The World Amateur Golf Council has made the bid, but if accepted the event would be open to all professionals.

The IOC will announce the venue for the 2008 Olympics in July, with Paris, Beijing, Toronto, Istanbul, Osaka the cities wanting to play hosts.

Golf was last a part of a Games in Berlin in 1936, but a campaign has been waged for years by some leading players, Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman included.

In Sydney last September Norman was invited to carry the torch across Sydney Harbour Bridge and took part in the closing ceremony.

If golf is reintroduced, championships such as the Open would almost certainly have to introduce drug testing.

Contrary to some earlier rumours, however, there will be no random testing at Royal Lytham this year.

‘‘A number of organisations are looking for us to take a lead in this,’’ said Royal and Ancient club secretary Peter Dawson today.

‘‘Any successful Olympic bid would have to be accompanied by a drug policy. But we do not think there is a drug problem in golf and there will be no testing this year.’’

Olympic inclusion is seen as important by golf governing bodies in many smaller nations, who believe they would benefit enormously from grants.