Concerns have been raised over the last five years since golf, along with rugby sevens, was reinstated onto the Olympic programme at the expense of sports ostensibly with greater need for the opportunity.

Yet golf has blended naturally into the Summer Youth Olympic Games here and has been warmly embraced by athletes, players and spectators.

In warm and muggy conditions more in line with a normal Nanjing summer than what has been seen here over recent days, there was a relaxed vibe around the picturesque course for the final day of strokeplay action.

With golf having been banned by the Chinese Communist Party until the early 1980s due to its perception as being too "bourgeouis", a sign banning the wearing of jeans and high heels by those in attendance provided a reminder of how the sport is steeped in tradition.

But it has clearly come a long way since its last Olympic appearance at St Louis 1904, and the raucous celebrations by the Italian team after Renato Paratore sank what proved to be the gold medal winning putt on the 18th green, as well as the subsequent introduction of music and mascots, showcased a sport that can strongly appeal to the global youth.

Renato Paratore is congratulated following his victory ©Getty Images



In shooting a sensational 31 over the back nine holes, the Italian epitomised perfectly the importance of finishing strongly, as he overhauled early leader Markus Kinhult of Sweden, while Danthai Boonma of Thailand won a two hole playoff for bronze.

In the girl's event, meanwhile, South Korea underlined its status as a great power in the sport as Lee So Yeung managed a brilliant final round of 65 to finish on seven under par, and push Cheng Ssu-Chia of Taiwan and Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark into second and third.

While the male players set to participate in Rio have grabbed most of the headlines, it could be the female side of the sport which is most boosted by Olympic inclusion.

"I know that every top golfer from all over the world is excited about Rio [2016], and busy preparing for the Olympics," said Grace Park, South Korea's former winner of six Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) events who is here in Nanjing as an Athlete Role Model,

"There's such a gap between the LPGA and the [men's] Professional Golf Association.

"But now that it's in the Olympics, many women who were never interested in playing golf will now look into it.

"Hopefully it will reach more to the general public to be aware of the game, and start the game, and help it to grow."

Among other observers here today was Britain's Sir Craig Reedie, the IOC vice-president and President of the World Anti Doping Agency, who is also a keen golfer, who presented the medals for the inaugural winners.

He told insidethegames that he was very impressed with the organisation of the event and thought the wide nature of the course was perfectly suited to the young athletes, before expressing his hope for similar success at Rio 2016.

A lot of work remains to be done on the Rio 2016 golf course, pictured on July 28, but there remains great potential ©AFP/Getty Images


While the spotlight with regard to Rio has shone most on slow construction progress at the Barra de Tijuca course, as well as the environmental damage that this development is supposedly causing, the success of this week's event will increase anticipation levels.

And after the winner of the last two Major Championships, Rory McIlroy, confirmed in June that he will participate for Ireland at the Games, US star Phil Mickelsen has spoken this week about how the event is a key priority for him over the next two years.

"I'll probably take the rest of the year off, work on my fitness, work on my golf game and really focus on 2015 because 2015 is when the points start accumulating really for the Olympics," the five-time Major winner explained.

"I don't know why that's important to me but it is, I want to be a 46-year-old Olympian.

"I think that would be pretty cool.

"So 2015 and 2016 are years I want to really focus on and I want to make sure I'm ready come January."

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