Commentary: That’s absurd, golf isn’t a sport

Friday, July 27, 2007
By ANDREW GOODMAN
www.njherald.com

A sport is defined as an athletic activity where one competitor or a team of competitors plays against another competitor or group of competitors.

There must be a conclusive method of scoring, meaning a competitor’s score cannot be determined by a judge.

Therefore, figure skating, gymnastics and snow boarding are not sports because a judge is in control.

Track and field is a sport because the skills involved are of an athletic nature and the competitors are in control of their time on the track and marks in the field.

Golf, however, is not a sport.

It takes no athletic ability to hit a golf ball. Although it is a unique skill to have Tiger Woods’ ability, there is nothing athletic about standing still and swinging a club at a ball that is also standing still.

…Baseball doesn’t require as much athleticism, but almost all baseball players are athletes. Even San Diego Padres pitcher David Wells — known for having a body like comedian Kevin James instead of NBA superstar LeBron James — has some athletic ability. When he has to field his position, he can because he is an athlete.

The average golfer doesn’t have the imposing physical stature of an athlete like Peyton Manning or Alex Rodriguez. John Daly or Colin Montgomerie don’t intimidate. Even Tiger, who is the world’s best golfer and would probably be considered one of the most athletic golfers, has nothing physically on the top athletes in other sports.

…But realize this the next time you go golfing: What you are doing is competing in a non-athletic activity, like poker or chess. Leave the sports to athletes like Derek Jeter and Jason Kidd.

Here is the full article.

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