Olympics: DP World Tour’s Joost Luiten calls BS on denied likelihood

Bogus.

Dumbfounding.

Ridiculous.

These phrases describe Joost Luiten’s state of affairs associated to the Males’s Olympic Golf Competitors in Paris later this month.

Though, Luiten himself used a extra specific time period to explain what occurred to him on Tuesday.

“It’s all bullshit, and so they all conceal behind one another,” Luiten mentioned to Handicap 54, an Argentinian golf web site facilitated by Matías Miguel Torge.

“I’ve completed nothing fallacious! Due to the errors and choices of others, I’m the one who’s getting shafted!”

Final month, Doug Ferguson of the Related Press reported that Dutch Olympic officers would deny its golfers from collaborating within the Olympics in Paris. Officers felt their gamers didn’t have an opportunity to win a medal in opposition to the aggressive 60-player subject and, due to this fact, opted to maintain two of its male gamers—together with Luiten—and one feminine participant house.

However the 38-year-old Luiten has eight profession victories on the DP World Tour and eight PGA Championship appearances, along with his finest end coming in 2012 at Kiawah Island, the place he tied for twenty first. He even performed in all 4 majors in 2014 and 2015 after which tied for twenty seventh on the 2016 Summer season Olympics—the final time the Dutch Federation despatched golfers to the quadriennial video games. Holland pulled an identical stunt in 2021 when Tokyo hosted the COVID-19-delayed Olympics.

Photograph by Harry How/Getty Pictures

To fight this choice, the Worldwide Golf Federation (IGF) penned a letter to the Dutch Olympic Committee:

“It is not uncommon for lower-ranked gamers to make a big impression in main tournaments, defying their present standings,” the IGF letter mentioned, per Ferguson.

“There are quite a few examples of gamers who’re decrease ranked on OWGR who carry out effectively in massive occasions.”

Luiten is a main instance. He has performed effectively in massive occasions earlier than and has the expertise to compete on the grandest of levels.

Look no additional than his present standing. As of Jul. 8, Luiten ranked fortieth within the IGF rankings whereas additionally sitting 117th within the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). Twenty different Olympic golfers rank worse than he does within the OWGR, thus giving him an excellent higher likelihood of performing effectively at Le Golf Nationwide in Paris.

The Dutchman is aware of that, too, therefore his choice to file a grievance in court docket late final month. Luiten then gained the case final week, leading to him posting to his social media: “Going to the Olympics. Very pleased with the victory in court docket. Massive due to my attorneys at @snijders.advocaten. Couldn’t have completed it with out them.”

One week later, the Worldwide Olympic Committee denied Luiten entry to the Paris Olympic Video games by a press release offered by the IGF:

“When the IGF obtained notification of Joost Luiten’s court docket ruling within the Netherlands and his entry from the Netherlands’ Nationwide Olympic Committee, his unused quota spot had already been reallocated pursuant to the IGF’s revealed qualification procedures,” the assertion reads.

“The IGF was not a celebration to the authorized motion introduced forth by Luiten within the Netherlands. However, in an effort to help Luiten, the IGF sought an exception from the IOC to extend the sphere dimension of the boys’s Olympic golf competitors from 60 to 61 rivals to incorporate Luiten. Nevertheless, the IOC denied the request on Tuesday. The IGF has suggested Luiten of the IOC’s choice, and he has not knowledgeable the IGF whether or not he intends to pursue this matter additional.”

Luiten did nothing fallacious, but he can’t signify his house nation and play. That is ridiculously irritating for the Dutchman, who wished nothing greater than to compete for a Gold Medal. However with the best way his house nation has handled him, would Luiten wish to put on a medal for his native Holland at this level anyway?

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. You’ll want to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.