As I write this, Englishman Justin Rose has just won the first Olympic gold medal for men’s golf since Canada’s George Lyon did so in 1904, and I am eagerly anticipating the start of the women’s competition on Gil Hanse’s magnificent course in Rio.

That may surprise some who follow me on Twitter, as I have voiced opinions on the field and the format, not to mention the abysmal “world feed” broadcast we are subjected to here in Canada thanks to an obtuse and incomprehensible decision by the CBC not to allow us access to the excellent Golf Channel coverage.

But my purpose is not to revisit those quibbles, which hopefully will be rectified over the next four years before golf is again contested at the Tokyo Games.

Speaking of “games,” the reappearance of golf in the Olympic Games has reignited a most polarizing debate topic: Is golf a sport or a game? The corollary is: Does golf belong in the Olympics?

Two Golf Canada Twitter polls were conducted over the weekend.

One asked: “Do you consider pro golfers to be athletes?” Ninety-six per cent of the respondents said yes.

Do you consider pro golfers to be athletes?

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) August 14, 2016

The other asked: “Do you think golf should be in the Olympics?” Seventy-seven per cent responded in the affirmative.

Do you think #golf should be in the #Olympics?

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) August 13, 2016

Granted, those who follow Golf Canada on Twitter are most likely keen golfers with a bias. That puts them in a worldwide community of an estimated 60 million people who golf, the vast majority of whom live in one of the 118 countries that are members of the International Golf Federation.

The vast majority of that vast majority no doubt considers golf to be a sport.

At this point, my inclination is to grab my dictionary and recite the definition of a “sport.”

But I will resist that trite and predictable urge and instead quote Gary Belsky, former managing editor of ESPN the Magazine and co-author of the book On the Origins of Sports.

“You don’t need a definition of sports,” Belsky said in a recent Newsweek article. “It’s more quantum physics, like the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. There are simply too many variables.”

Critics cite overweight golfers riding in carts, puffing on cigars and cigarettes, enjoying a refreshing ale or six. That’s not a sport, they claim. At that level, focussing solely on that narrow and unattractive demographic sliver, they are right.

But if they widen their focus and clear their bias, they will see they are wrong; that they have ignored, intentionally or not, the variables Belsky mentions. Like the difference between the recreational and professional (or elite amateur) levels of any other sport, from soccer to basketball to hockey and baseball.

For the record, most recreational golfers walk. Over the average 18-hole course, that equates to an eight-kilometre hike, sometimes over challenging terrain, burning about 2,000 calories. Carrying clubs, using a push cart or a caddie makes little difference in both numbers.

And that is just recreational golfers.

Those fact-challenged critics (including one click-bait artist who demonstrated his ignorance in a piece published on the host broadcaster’s web site) conveniently disregard that today’s pros are without question athletes, with personal trainers, nutritionists and sports psychologists among their entourages. I defy the naysayers to play 36 holes of matchplay in a single day or challenge Henrik Stenson or Dustin Johnson to arm-wrestling.

Golf is a sport. Period.

Ignore the trumpery (look it up because it’s a perfect use of the word) of those critics, and I paraphrase here, with apologies to a line from the old movie Time Bandit,  who are mercifully unafflicted by the ravages of intelligence and/or facts.

Here’s a suggestion for those knuckleheads. Do some research. Play the sport. Try to attain a level of proficiency that will elevate you to the elite level and put the Olympics in your sights.

Then belly up to the table and prepare to eat your words.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Australian Marcus Fraser gazed down on a formidable league of nations who ganged up behind him as the first Olympic Games golf competition for 112 years promised to turn into an epic medal shoot-out in Rio de Janeiro this weekend.

Fraser, the first round leader after an opening 63, followed that up with a solid two-under-par 69 to lead the 60-strong field at 10-under.

Now the man from Melbourne can expect a strong challenge from a slew of players, including Canada’s Graham DeLaet, who is poised to make his move over the final 36-holes which will see the gold, silver and bronze decided at Reserva da Marapendi Golf Course on Sunday afternoon.

DeLaet, from Weyburn, Sask., shot an even-par 71 in the second round and is tied for sixth, five shots behind the leader at -5. DeLaet shares 6th with Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello, Argentina’s Fabian Gomez and New Zealand’s Danny Lee.

Graham DeLaet Interview: Audio #1  I  Audio #2

David Hearn, a Brantford, Ont., native, posted a 70 and is 11 back in 37th place at 1-over.

David Hearn (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Fraser’s accomplished performance earned him a slender margin over emerging Belgian star Thomas Pieters, whose 66 lifted him to 9-under-par, one in front of Stenson, who added a 68 to his opening 66.

England’s Justin Rose and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy have a share of 4th at 6-under.

MISSISSAUGA — Golf at the 2016 Mississauga Ontario Summer Games came to a close today with Stoney Creek’s Johnny Travale and Mississauga’s Chloe Currie standing atop the podium.

Travale came in with a lead and never relinquished it, carding a two-over (74) final round. Currie came from behind to win thanks to a four-under (68) on the day.

Travale, from Hamilton Golf & Country Club, entered the day at 10-under for the tournament, with a four-shot lead. The 15-year-old didn’t let his competitors back into it on the front nine as he was even par heading to the turn. On the back nine he would settle for three bogeys, but added a birdie to finish two-over, which was good enough for the win. Travale ended the championship at eight-under (68-66-74-208).

“It feels good to win this. A lot of hard work has gone into my game, especially after having a little upset at the U.S. Junior,” said Travale.

Earning silver was Langton’s Peyton Callens. Callens, from Delhi Golf & Country Club and Team Ontario, began the day five-under and that is where he finished thanks to an even par final round (70-69-72-211).

Rounding out the podium with the bronze was King City’s Michael von Schalburg. The York Downs Golf & Country Club member had a tough front nine but settled down on the back nine to end the day three-over (75). That helped him finish the event at three-under (68-70-75-213).

In the girls’ championship, Currie, from the Mississaugua Golf & Country Club, started the day two shots off the lead. The 16-year-old quickly made up that ground thanks to a solid three-under front nine. She continued her strong play on the back nine finishing it at one-under to end the day four-under (68). That moved her tournament total to seven-under (68-73-68-209), earning her a four-shot win.

With the win, Currie has now captured provincial championships at the Bantam (U15), Juvenile (U17) and Junior (U19) levels. After the win she spoke about what that means to her. “It is incredible! It is something you dream of doing, winning one is incredible but now I have won four provincial championships and it is an unbelievable feeling.”

Taking the silver was Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun. Chun, from the Summit Golf & Country Club and Team Ontario, was the leader as the final round got underway. However, she would give it up with a two-over front nine. While she did play the back nine even, she was unable to make up the ground on Currie. Chun finished the day two-over (74) to bring her tournament total to three-under (74-65-74-213).

Picking up the bronze was Maple’s Alyssa DiMarcantonio. DiMarcantonio, from Station Creek Golf Club and Team Ontario, started the final round at five-over. However, the 13-year-old had the second best round of the day, next to Currie, finishing at three-under (69). That moved her to two-over (80-69-69-218) and helped her earn the medal.

RIO DE JANEIRO – Canada’s Graham DeLaet rarely battle nerves at the start of a golf tournament.

The butterflies were definitely there on Thursday when he walked to the first tee at the Olympic Golf Course with the opening group.

“The last time I can think of really being nervous was probably the (2013) Presidents Cup,” he said. “There has been a couple times if you’re in final groups. But not the first tee shot of the week. So it was definitely a different feeling.

“You’re out there and you’re playing for more than just yourself. You’re playing for the flag and it’s a pretty cool feeling.”

DeLaet certainly didn’t play like he was nervous, firing four birdies over his first eight holes en route to a 5-under-par 66.

He held the clubhouse lead until Australia’s Marcus Fraser closed his round a short time later with a blistering 63. It was the first round of golf played at the Olympics since Canadian George S. Lyon won gold at the 1904 St. Louis Games.

“It’s pretty cool,” DeLaet said. “First time in over 100 years and we’re leading the charge here at the Olympics.”

Graham DeLaet Interview: Audio File I Transcript

Thomas Pieters of Belgium and Gregory Bourdy of France were in third place at 67 as play continued Thursday afternoon. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., opened with a 2-over-par 73.

DeLaet, from Weyburn, Sask., was joined by Brazil’s Adilson da Silva and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An in the first group. They were greeted by a phalanx of photographers for the historic moment, with da Silva sending the opening drive down the middle of the fairway.

Golf is in the developmental stages in the host country and the rather empty grandstands showed it. There were still groups of fans who followed the golfers around the 7,128-yard course, which has wide fairways, deep bunkers and plenty of slope.

DeLaet, with friend and retired NHL player Ray Whitney on his bag, was an impressive 31 at the turn. His lone bogey came on the 11th hole but he got that shot back on No. 13 and closed his round with another birdie.

“I played well all day,” he said. “We obviously had a great tee time. I mean, we didn’t play in a whole lot of wind until we made the turn. The last five, six holes it was blowing pretty good and I think it’s only picking up here now so I’m pretty happy to be first off.”

DeLaet’s approach game was in form and he was very impressed by the greens, which he said were playing “super true.”

“Hopefully I can keep it rolling,” he said. “I told Ray on 15, I almost made a huge bomb, it was almost a 50-footer with 10 feet of break. I said, ‘I feel like Jordan Spieth with this (putter) in my hand right now.’

“So hopefully that will stick with me for another few days.”

Both Canadians said they have thoroughly enjoyed the Olympic experience so far. They went to Canada Olympic House on Tuesday and were joined by the national women’s rugby sevens team on the bus ride over.

DeLaet said he held one of their bronze medals and left feeling even more motivated to shine on the Olympic stage.

“That’s when it really became real to me how amazing it would be to get that chunk of metal,” DeLaet said. “Obviously gold would be incredible but I think bringing home anything would be really special.”

Hearn struggled on the front nine before rebounding late in his round. He took a six on the par-4 second hole and was 39 at the turn before picking up birdies on three of his last four holes.

“It’s kind of my track record, I get a little better every day,” Hearn said. “So hopefully that was my bad day and I can just build on that each and every day.”

The top four players in the world — Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Spieth and Rory McIlroy — are not in Rio, but the field still boasts big names like Henrik Stenson, Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time so I know that I’m only 25 per cent done,” DeLaet said. “So I’m not getting too far ahead of myself, but it’s definitely better to shoot five under than five over to open up.”

Play continues through Sunday.

The women’s tournament begins Wednesday. Canada will be represented by Alena Sharp of Hamilton and world No. 3 Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont.

Tweets from around the world:

“I’m the Olympic leader right now, and that’s pretty cool.” – Canada’s @GrahamDeLaet after opening with 66. #golf pic.twitter.com/NNXwndCAmu

— Olympic Golf (@OlympicGolf) August 11, 2016

.@GrahamDeLaet had ice in his veins today @OlympicGolf, carding a 5-under 66 for the clubhouse lead @ #Rio2016 #golf pic.twitter.com/VZmOVTEpMf

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) August 11, 2016

Graham DeLaet among the early Olympics co-leaders. Watch out for Canada. Like clockwork at this thing, every 112 years.

— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelESPN) August 11, 2016

.@GrahamDeLaet Great first round! We’re cheering you on from #yyc!

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) August 11, 2016

Great start in Brazil for @GrahamDeLaet

— Weirsy (@MikeWeir) August 11, 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO — Men’s golf gets four days to make up for four months of negative chatter about whether it even belongs in the Olympics.

Not even a dreary sky with occasional rain could dampen the enthusiasm Wednesday on the final day of practice at Olympic Golf Course.

“No matter what happens this week, it’s the greatest week of my life,” two-time major champion Martin Kaymer said.

Bubba Watson was buzzing about watching Michael Phelps win the 200-meter butterfly the night before. British Open champion Henrik Stenson, an imposing figure in golf, felt small next to some of the other athletes in the gym at the Olympic Village.

“If you want to get motivated, that’s definitely a place to be,” he said. “There’s a lot of athletes from different sports in there, and I didn’t try and go for some dead lifts of 80, 90 kilos when there was a guy holding up 180 kilos on both arms.”

The biggest thrill for so many has been hanging around so many Olympians.

Now it’s their turn. Adilson da Silva of Brazil was chosen to hit the opening tee shot Thursday morning.

Not since 1904 in St. Louis has golf been part of the Olympic program, with George Lyon of Canada winning the gold medal. Every major golf organization lobbied for its return, pledging support from the best players in the world. And that’s what golf had until four months ago, when the deadline began approaching and players began bailing out for reasons ranging from the Zika virus to safety concerns to other priorities.

Most damaging was losing the top four players in the world — Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. The Rio Games effectively are an audition before the International Olympic Committee votes next year on whether golf should stay beyond 2020.

“It’s certainly not helpful, but now we are looking forward and concentrating on those players who are here,” International Golf Federation President Peter Dawson said.

The best golf can do now is put on a memorable show.

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 mph, and already has this week. It also offers a three-hole finish that could leave the outcome in doubt until the last hole.

Does it need a big name winning the gold medal, like Stenson or Kaymer or Watson? A surprise winner from a developing golf nation like Li Haotong of China or Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand? A playoff like the way Rickie Fowler won The Players Championship? A dominant performance like Stenson at Royal Troon?

“If you genuinely want the best thing that’s going to happen, you’re going to have four or five players in with a chance of winning with three or four holes to go … and Padraig Harrington finishing eagle-birdie-eagle to win it outright,” Harrington said.

One unknown remains the size of the gallery. Golf is used to being the biggest show when it comes to down, especially the majors. Now it is but one of 39 sports or disciplines, many of them with a much greater tradition in the Olympics. The IGF said about 58 percent of the tickets have been sold, with Sunday a sellout of 12,000.

The other mystery is golf itself. Not even the most dominant player of his era, Tiger Woods, could guarantee victories in any given week.

“I think I can give you a list of 10 to 15 guys who I think are going to find the medals, and that’s going to be among the strong players that are here, most likely,” Stenson said. “We’re a different sport. It not like some of the other sports where if you jump a certain distance or swim at a certain time, you can pretty much figure out who is going to win. Ours is a bit more down to the form for the week and on any given day. It’s a little trickier to find the golf and silver and bronze.”

For three days, this has looked and felt just like any other tournament except for players being in team uniforms (even though this is only 72 holes of individual stroke play for the medals). Still to be determined is how it feels with a gold medal — any medal — on the line.

“For me, I’ll approach it like any tournament,” Kaymer said. “But when Sunday comes, you will approach it differently, because whether you’re fourth or 20th, no one really cares. At the end of the day, you play for the top three or you play for the golden pineapple, which no one cares about.”

The sheer, dizzying scope is what takes some getting used to.

Four years ago, an estimated 3.64 billion viewers tuned in worldwide to watch the Games in London. Beijing, in 2008, delivered a global audience of approximately 3.55 billion. The Olympic Games unfold a vast canvas, unlike any other sporting event.

More than 10,000 athletes from 206 countries, 306 medals in 28 sports have gathered in Rio de Janerio for 17 days when the world stops to watch. And high among the list of curiosities is golf.

Marking a return to the Games for the first time in 112 years. Back then in 1904, the average annual income was between $200-$400 (the average wage? 22 cents an hour), crossword puzzles had yet to be invented, the standard life expectancy hovered at around 47 years and Wilfred Laurier was Prime Minister. So naturally, the wait has only piqued interest in golf’s return to the Olympic.

Yes, there’s a sizeable degree of week-to-week hype surrounding the two pre-eminent North American professional golf tours, particularly come Majors time. But an Olympics ramps scrutiny up an entirely different octave. Allow Canadian ski racer Brady Leman to outline potential pitfalls.

Brady Leman (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh?

“There’s a danger, the first time for anyone at an Olympic Games,’’ cautions the two-time – Vancouver and Sochi – Olympian, “that you can get caught blowing the size of the event out of proportion in your own mind. There are going to be butterflies, because there is this kind of stigma around the Olympics, no matter how big a stage you’ve been on before.”

“I know the golfers and tennis players and basketball players are accustomed to handling a lot of attention. But this a once-every-four-years thing, maybe you only get one chance during a career, so it’s easy for anybody to get caught up in the hype. Then there’s all these extra things you have to deal with. Crazy little stuff, like the clothing, the logos, what you can wear and what you can’t.”

“Athletes are creatures of habit … but in something as big, as all-over-the-map, as an Olympic Games, your best bet is to just go with the flow. As an athlete, you can’t let those extra distractions get in the way of your process. What you really do need is the help of people around you; rely on them to do deal with a lot of those unfamiliar headaches – more media, the logistical challenges of getting from Point A to Point B, managing your time in the most efficient way possible, etc., etc. It’s a different beast to tame, for sure.”

The Games – particularly the Summer version, massive in comparison to its winter sibling – are sprawling, messy, frenetic, disjointed. Security is going to be exhaustive. Traffic, particularly in Rio, an absolute nightmare. By contrast, a PGA or LPGA tournament rolls along as smooth, as true, as a Graham DeLaet ramrod-straight uphill six-footer for birdie. So much will be so foreign for the world’s best ball-strikers, including Canada’s contingent of DeLaet, David Hearn, Alena Sharp and Brooke Henderson.

The athlete village, for starters. No 24-hour room service here. Pretty spartan, by pro standards. But weeks housed in a teeming beehive of activity is what each individual makes of it. For the broad-minded, the curious, it provides an unprecedented opportunity to mingle with melting pot of athletes from all countries and sports, see into a window into other cultures and broaden horizons.

The course itself, a 7,290-yard, par-71, Gil Hanse links-style designed layout located in the affluent Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood out of a patch of sand along a nature reserve, will be another departure from the norm. Rio has poor soil and water, necessitating the installation of turf known as Zeon Zoysia, a durable warm-weather grass that requires less nitrogen, fertilizer, pesticide and water, so the feel of the course will be different than what the pros are used to most weeks, adding to the unfamiliarity and unpredictably quotients.

What golf can pull out of this rare Olympic foray is visibility beyond its target audience.

“Rio,’’ says women’s world No. 1 Lydia Ko, of New Zealand, “is a great way to grow our game. We have a chance to make golf fans of general sports fans. That’s something we all have a part in. Golf is a very individual sport. Obviously there are team competitions like the Solheim Cup, the Ryder Cup. But you’re there not representing yourself but your flag. Your country. I think it will definitely be a different feeling. And I can’t wait. Watching opening and closing ceremonies over the years, you realize how inspirational it all is. Sports come together and it’s like one family.”

“I’m sure there’ll be pressure. But I’ve got to block it out. I need to focus on my game, hit the shot I need to hit and just enjoy everything around the Olympics. The village, other events. It’s not every day you get to go and play in the Olympics for your country. There’s so much I can enjoy out of it than just ‘Hey, you need to bring a medal home.’ I know it sounds corny but it’s not all about medals at the end of the day. It’s about the experience, playing as well as you can and letting the chips fall where they may.”

For the first time in 112 years, golf is back at the Olympic Games. The men tee off for their first round on Aug. 11th, the women on the 17th. The game is the same. Everything else will take some getting used to.

“For the golfers, being first timers,’’ added Leman. “My advice would be: Be adaptable, enjoy the experience and try not to sweat some of the small details.

“Is it just another 18 holes, just another tournament? Yes, and no. You’ve got to treat it that way when you’re competing but, well, it is the Olympics. Bottom line is that you’re among the best in the world at what you do. That’s why you’re there. Whoever you are, whatever your sport may be. Trust in that.”

Former NHL player Ray Whitney first became friends with Graham DeLaet when the Canadian golfer joined the Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

It wasn’t long before they were playfully arguing about how many strokes the PGA Tour player should gift Whitney when they played together.

“He always bitches and I bitch if he doesn’t give me enough,” Whitney said with a laugh. “So it’s a pretty competitive little group when we get going. It’s a lot of pissing and moaning on the first tee usually.”

Whitney will be a source of support along with a second set of eyes for the Canadian player as golf makes its return to the Olympic program for the first time since 1904.

“Obviously he’s a great athlete and he’s got a lot of experience, has won Stanley Cups and knows what it takes to win,” DeLaet said Tuesday. “I think I can lean on him for little bits of advice here and there even though it’s a different sport.

“He’s maybe the most competitive person that I’ve ever met and I play on the PGA Tour where every person is extremely competitive. He’s got no quit in him, that’s for sure.”

Ray Whitney (Getty Images)

Whitney, a 44-year-old native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., played 1,330 career NHL games before retiring after the 2013-14 season. And for the record, DeLaet usually gives him a few strokes per round when they play.

“He’s scared me a couple times that he [might] beat me straight up but he never has,” DeLaet said. “He tied me once and thank God [he didn’t win] because I’d never hear the end of it. He’s a good player.

DeLaet said regular caddie Julien Trudeau declined to come to Rio due to concerns about the Zika virus. He’s confident that Whitney will do a great job over the four-round pinch-hit assignment.

“If I’m second-guessing a little bit, I’ll bring him in,” DeLaet said. “He’s a plus handicap so he knows how to read greens and stuff too.”

DeLaet, from Weyburn, Sask., and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., will open play Thursday at the Olympic Golf Course. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Alena Sharp of Hamilton will be in the field for the Aug. 17-20 women’s event.

DeLaet, who played nine practice holes at the Olympic Golf Course on Tuesday, said the fairways were playing soft but the layout could become difficult in the wind. It’s a wide course with plenty of slope and steep bunkers.

The 34-year-old Canadian took over a month off earlier this season to deal with some anxiety issues — so-called ‘yips’ while chipping around the green, to be specific — before returning in early July.

He picked up a top-10 finish last month at the Barbasol Championship before missing the cut at the recent RBC Canadian Open. Overall he’s feeling good about his game.

“It’s actually getting much better,” he said. “The nice thing out here is if I feel any nerves or anything, you can pretty much putt from anywhere. So that’s almost like a safety blanket type of thing. You’re going to see guys putting from 20 feet, 30 feet off the green who can chip really well.

Whitney said he’ll be fired up when DeLaet makes birdies and will try to give him a lift if he gets frustrated.

“It’s no different than when I played with Eric Staal in Carolina and he was going through a little slump,” he said. “I was like, ‘C’mon Big E. Let’s get ‘er going. One tap-in makes it all go away.’ It’s that kind of thing.

“Athletes don’t need more crap piled on them when there is enough there that they put on themselves.”

The gentle rhythm of Smiths Falls, Ont., and its 9,000 inhabitants seem a world and more away from the stark juxtaposition of splendour and squalor that defines Rio de Janeiro.

From its teeming population of 6.5 million to the lush beaches of Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana. From ocean-side caipirinhas and coconut waters to the soft sounds of bossa nova and the incessant beat of samba.

From the favelas rising like dollhouse-sized shantytowns stretching upwards in the distance. And looming above it all, often lost in the clouds, the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, perched atop the mountain of Corcovado, looking benevolently down on this diverse flock, arms outstretched in all-encompassing inclusion.

“Rio,’’ says Brooke Henderson, at 18, despite the fame and accomplishment that has arrived at her doorstep, still very much the teenager from Smiths Falls, “is going to be … amazing. Being an Olympian is going to be … amazing.”

“It’s always been a dream, since I was a little girl. I didn’t know how or what sport or how I was going to do it. But I loved watching the athletes. I loved the desire, the determination, the focus that they had in their eyes.”

“I wanted to be an Olympian. Watching the Vancouver Winter Games in 2010 on TV and the way the whole country came together showed me the power and the amazement of the Olympic Games. To be a part of that will be really cool.”

In an Olympics beset by controversy and withdrawals (particularly in the re-instated sport of golf) during the lead-up, the four-player Canadian golf contingent heading to Brazil has made a pledge: They’re all in.

While Alena Sharp, Graham DeLaet and David Hearn were being officially announced at Glen Abbey Golf Club outside of Toronto, the women’s phenom was out west in Calgary, with the express purpose of checking out Priddis Greens, site of the 2016 CP Women’s Open.

Henderson is making a beeline for Calgary immediately following the Rio experience, and won’t have any time for a tour of the Priddis layout.

Out at Golf Canada Calgary Centre for a junior golf clinic on the day of the Olympic golf team celebration, Henderson’s welcome to Rio was heralded by an honour guard of young Brooke-wannabes brandishing golf clubs in lieu of swords. A television hook-up made her part of the broadcast festivities.

“There’s a lot of stuff going down in Rio right now,’’ she conceded, following a short clinic for the kids and onlookers. “Politics is kind of sketchy and the Zika virus and health concerns. But we’re just trying to make the best decision we can and take everything into consideration.”

“Everybody has their own opinions and their own reasons why they’re not playing in the Games. At the end of the day, you have to respect their opinions because health and safety is more important than just a round of golf. We’re only there for about a week. Hopefully we get in, get out and bring home that gold medal.”

When she tees it up at the brand-new Campo Olímpico de Golfe, Aug. 17-20, Canada’s newest, freshest sports personality will be among every oddsmaker’s medal picks.

That lofty status was assured after Henderson outduelled top-ranked Lydia Ko on the first hole of a playoff to snare the KMPG Women’s PGA Open at Sahalee Country Club near Seattle in mid-June, becoming the youngest-ever winner of a major championship.

On Henderson’s bag in Rio will be older sister Brittany, a pretty fair striker of the ball herself. Brittany admitted the news flashes emanating from Brazil had been initially unsettling.

“It’s been hard to see where the situation really is. You don’t know which outlets you can trust the most, so it’s hard to get truthful information. But I think we feel comfortable enough, and the Olympic Committee is doing everything it can.”

“With it being their winter down there, I think it’s going to be a little bit safer. We’ll probably wear long pants, long sleeves, for more protection. Things like that. Golf is probably more at risk than other sports because we’re going to be outside for eight hours a day. Hopefully the wind comes up. Normally we never wish for winds, but in this case …”

Routine is something taken for granted on a pro golf tour. The Olympics, however, will be an altogether different beast. There’ll be obstacles, both anticipated and unforeseen. The traffic in Rio, for instance, is going to be insane, so just getting to the course

“We’re actually going down for a training camp with Golf Canada; meet in Houston for a couple days before we fly to Rio. I think that’s going to be really important. Just figure things out.”

For the young star, having family so close at hand under an entirely alien sort of competition, under such a different spotlight, is more than welcome. It’s necessary.

Brittany and Brooke Henderson (Golf Canada/ Bernard Brault)

“It’s huge for both of us to become Olympians and to share not only in the Olympic dream together but the dream of playing on the LPGA Tour together,’’ Brooke acknowledged.

“We’re such a team out there. I couldn’t have had the nine straight Top-10 finishes this season, wouldn’t have the two wins, without her on my bag.

She works so hard for me.”

One hundred and 12 years ago, Canadian George S. Lyon won the last Olympic gold medal in golf. In a lovely bit of symmetry, he was born and lived in Richmond, Ont., 522 kilometres, or a five-hour drive, from Brooke Henderson’s hometown.

Next week, a world away from the gentle rhythm of Smiths Falls, in the jumble of splendour and squalor that symbolize Rio, and under the watchful eye of the Christo on Corcovado, Brooke Henderson goes in search of a different sort of legacy.

“Alena and I have become extremely good friends. I’m super happy that it’s her and I representing the women’s die of the team. I think we make an awesome team. Her whole game has improved. I think we have a really good chance of both of us standing on the podium, hopefully one silver and one gold. The men’s side as well, I think we have a solid team. It’s kind of surreal in a way. This is kind of like a sixth major on the LPGA tour and I already have one under my belt, so …”

And, well, she’s always been a bit of a sucker for O Canada.

“Even listening to the anthem at school used to get to me,’’ Henderson laughed. “Before I went to play at the World Amateur Championships (in Japan, two years ago), that’s what I wanted to hear. “I didn’t get that chance then. But now I’ve got another one.”

“You can’t get ahead of yourself, you have to focus on the now, but you also have to be visualize being up there, on that podium, on the top step. In your mind, you have to hear that anthem.’’

She stops, maybe humming a few bars in her head, and smiles the smile of a prodigious 18-year-old with only one aim in mind.

“And, as you know, we’ve got a great anthem.”

Calgary – AutoCanada Inc. (TSX:ACQ)  announced today their one-year partnership as an official sponsor of the 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

This year’s Canadian Pacific Women’s Open is set to take place at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Calgary from August 22-28, 2016.

AutoCanada, through the Courtesy Auto Group (Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram and Courtesy Mitsubishi) and Hyundai Calgary Auto Group (Calgary Hyundai and Crowfoot Hyundai), will be participating on-site throughout the week and will be teaming up with CP for the CP Hole-in-One for Heart activation. Amateur golfers will have the opportunity to shoot for a hole-in-one to take home a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. In addition, Courtesy Auto Group and Hyundai Calgary Auto Group will be showcasing their multiple brands and models with vehicle displays throughout Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club.

“We are proud to sponsor the 2016 CP Women’s Open and are excited to work alongside Golf Canada at such a fantastic event,” said Tom Orysiuk, President of AutoCanada. “The Courtesy Auto Group and Hyundai Calgary Auto Group have a long-standing commitment to community investment, and partnering with CP for the Hole-in-One for Heart activation is a great opportunity to give back to community in support of the Alberta Children’s Hospital.”

The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation is the official charity beneficiary of the 2016 CP Women’s Open. All funds raised through the tournament will support pediatric cardiac care and research at the Hospital.

“We are grateful to AutoCanada for their support of women’s golf in Canada,” said Golf Canada Chief Commercial Officer Gavin Roth. “Their diverse line of quality vehicles will play a key role in ensuring our world-class field gets around Calgary during tournament week.”

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The International Golf Federation has announced the draw for the first and second rounds of the Men’s Golf Competition at Rio 2016.

At 7:30 am local time on Thursday August 11th, history will be made when Brazilian Adilson da Silva hits the opening tee shot and golf’s return to the Olympic Games.

Two further Olympic connections are celebrated in the first grouping. Canada’s Graham DeLaet, whose countryman George S. Lyon won the Olympic gold medal in 1904 -the last time golf was part of the Olympic programme- will tee off second.  And, Byeong Hun An, the son of two Olympic table tennis medalists at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, will complete the group.

Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington from Ireland and Italy’s Matteo Manassero, both of whom formed part of the International Golf Federation’s delegation that presented golf’s case for inclusion in the Games at the 2009 IOC Session in Copenhagen, will play together in the second grouping.  The Irishman and Italian will be joined by New Zealand’s Danny Lee.

Other notable pairings include 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett from Great Britain who will play with American Matt Kuchar and China’s Haotong Li.

Two-time Masters winner, Bubba Watson, will be in the same group as former US Open champion Martin Kaymer from Germany and India’s Anirban Lahiri.

Siddikur Rahman, who carried Bangladesh’s flag during the Opening Ceremony, will be in a group with the Netherlands’ Joost Luiten and Ricardo Melo Gouveia from Portugal.

World No. 7  Rickie Fowler from the USA, former US Open champion Justin Rose from Great Britain, and last month’s winner of the RBC Canadian Open, Jhonattan Vegas, will make up another premier grouping.

And, The Open champion and world No. 5 Henrik Stenson will play alongside Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and Rafa Cabrera Bello in Thursday’s final group.

David Hearn, the other Canadian in the field, will play with Finland’s Mikko Ilonen and South African Jaco van Zyl.

A full listing of the draw, which includes Thursday and Friday tee times, can be found here.