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There’s been a bit of debate whether professionals should be teeing it up at the Olympics.
One tour pro believes that they shouldn’t be.
That man is none other than Open Championship hole-in-one hero Jonathan Thomson.
“It sounds controversial, but I am not sure it should be professionals that go, I think it should be the top amateurs who compete for their nation,” said Thomson speaking in association with UK coffee retailer Coffee Friend.
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“Being in the Olympics would be a pinnacle of an amateur’s career – whereas I think as a leading golf pro, you want to be winning a major championship rather than a gold medal.
“It’s a tough one, but I wish Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood all the best – they have a good chance for a medal.”
Despite his call for professionals to relinquish their participation in the event, 25-year-old Thomson says he would answer the call, should it ever come.
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“Golf definitely does deserve a place at the Olympics and if I ever got a chance, I would be going because it’s an extremely cool thing to put on your career bucket list.”
Thomson made history when he made a hole-in-one at the par-3 16th at the Open Championship. It helped the 6ft 9.5” tall Challenge Tour pro to a T53 finish – something which is crucial for him.
“The prize money I gained from the Open makes a huge difference – money makes the world go round,” added Thomson. “It helps for the next few months to keep funding myself, although I try not to think too much about the money side of things.
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“It’s a slippery slope when you begin to think too much about finances, but golf is an extremely expensive sport to be a part of. But if you perform the best you can, the money will look after itself.”
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