Repreasentatives of the International Golf Federation today presented their case for golf to become an Olympic sport during a meeting with the International Olympic Committee Program Commission.

The IGF, recognized as the representative body for golf by the IOC, announced the creation of an Olympic Golf Committee to drive its effort for the sport’s inclusion in the 2016 Games. Organizations represented on the committee are The R&A, the PGA European Tour, the United States Golf Association, the PGA of America, the PGA Tour, the LPGA and Augusta National GC.

PGA Tour executive Ty Votaw will coordinate the Olympic golf movement on behalf of the IGF’s Olympic Golf Committee and the other golf organizations around the world. Votaw will lead the Olympic effort until October 2009, when the IOC votes on which – if any – sports to add.

“There is a significant amount of work to be done between now and next October, when the IOC makes its decision,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. “As the PGA Tour considers this a very important initiative on behalf of the international golf community, we are pleased to provide Ty and the majority of his time to coordinate this effort.”

Golf is one of seven sports under consideration, along with baseball, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens, softball and squash. The IOC will vote in October 2009 on whether to add no more than two of these sports. Golf is bidding to become an Olympic sport for the first time since 1904, when it was contested in St. Louis. At that time, men’s individual and team titles were contested among 77 golfers representing just two nations – 74 from the United States and three from Canada. Today, 20 countries are represented among the 100 top male players in the world, based on the Official World Golf Ranking, while 16 countries are represented among the top 100 women, according to the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

“Without question, golf’s international popularity has grown significantly over the past couple of decades and the sport continues to expand and develop in new countries,” Votaw said. “So the time is right to champion golf as an Olympic sport. It’s wonderful that this has become such a united effort among golf’s leading organizations. I’m excited about this opportunity and very much look forward to the challenge and, hopefully, reward of bringing golf back to the Olympics.”

The host city for the 2016 Games will be determined at the 121st IOC session, scheduled for Oct. 2, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The four finalists are Chicago; Madrid, Spain; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Tokyo, Japan.