Major tours come together to push for Olympic golf

SOUTHPORT, England - Tiger Woods, Olympian?

Golf's major governing bodies stepped up their campaign to get the sport added to the Olympic program in 2016, naming former LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw to lead the effort.

Votaw, now an executive vice president of the PGA Tour, will be loaned out from that post over the next 15 months to represent seven of the bigger hitters in the game: both the American and European tours, Royal & Ancient, LPGA, U.S. Golf Association, PGA of America and Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters.

"The time is right for the world of golf to come together for the common good of the sport," Votaw said.

The IOC will decide in October 2009 on possible changes in the Olympic program at the same meeting where it picks the next host city for the Summer Games. The 2016 finalists are Chicago, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid.

Golf hasn't been an Olympic sport since 1904, but a news conference that also featured PGA commissioner Tim Finchem, European Tour executive director George O'Grady and R&A chief executive Peter Dawson showed those at the top are firmly committed to getting back in the Games.

"There's much to be done, and some stiff competition, but we do feel we're putting together the right organization to get the job done," Dawson said.