I Rate The Olympics Up There With My US Open Win

The great Briton etched his name into the record books by becoming golf’s first Olympic champion in more than a century

- Kit Alexander

There are four chances every year to win a Major. But the Olympics only come along once every four years. So for every 16 Major winners from this year onwards, there is just one Olympic champion. That’s a pretty special achievement in itself, but you know you’ve done something truly historic when you win the first gold medal that’s been available in golf for 112 years. That’s exactly what Justin Rose achieved in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

There was never any doubt that the Englishman would be in Brazil to represent his country. He understood the significance of golf’s return to the greatest sporting stage on the planet, the incredible opportunities taking part would present to him and the history that was at stake for that one lucky and talented golfer who emerged victoriously. Rose did himself and Team GB proud – helping to lift his nation to second in the medals table and inspiring a new generation of potential golfers all across the globe.

And while skeptics might claim that gold doesn’t mean as much as a Major, who’s to say history won’t one day judge the Olympics with the same – or even greater – importance? After all, the Masters wasn’t seen as a Major the first few years it was played as a simple invitational tournament, and the Western Open was considered a Major in the pre-war era, so things change and the game evolves.