SAO PAULO - Gary Player was disappointed he didn't get to design Rio de Janeiro's Olympic golf course because he felt he could have "done more for golf in Brazil" than the winning architect.
Player, who is in Brazil promoting a Web.com Tour event, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that maybe he could have been "more clever" with his attempt to win the bid, but that "there is obviously a lot of politics in these things, so you move on."
American architect Gil Hanse was selected, beating out Player, Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones II, Greg Norman and other finalists. Hanse will team up with Hall of Fame player Amy Alcott to design the course which will mark the return of golf to the Olympics after more than 110 years.
"I just felt I could've done more for golf in Brazil in the future than will be done," Player said. "I would have come back here many times and promoted junior golf, would've brought tournaments here, the Gary Player Invitational... Those were ideas we had but we lost, that's fine, you move on."
Hanse was picked last year by a selection committee composed of local Olympic organizing committee president Carlos Nuzman, International Golf Federation president Peter Dawson and other local representatives. Dawson said at the time that "the selection process adopted by Rio 2016 was extremely thorough and reflected the importance" of the project.
"The thing that upset me for not getting it was the fact that I've been to Brazil so many times, I've played in tournaments here, met so many people, and I thought that would count," Player said. "But it didn't. There is obviously a lot of politics in these things, so you move on."
The nine-time major winner said he didn't want to go into details of what kind of politics might have kept him from winning the bid, saying "you must never be a cry-baby when you lose." He said he felt confident after meeting with all those involved in the selection process.
"We were very optimistic. We did a very good presentation, but there's politics in everything now," he said. "You just have to be maybe more clever, I don't know. We spent a lot of money, a lot of our own money."
Player said he thought it played into his favour the fact that he has travelled the world as a player.
"I've been travelling for 60 years and I've been to all of these countries that are involved in the Olympic Games. I just felt that I would get it," the 77-year-old South African said. "And they give it to a man who's... well, I don't want to say anything, I just felt it was an advantage for us. That's what I thought. But I was wrong, move on."
Hanse is already living in Rio to closely monitor the golf course construction. Hanse Golf Design was created in 1993 and built the Castle Stuart course in the north of Scotland, which hosts the Scottish Open. He was hired by Donald Trump to help renovate the Blue Monster course in Miami.
Player also said he was surprised that there is still a chance a legal dispute could disrupt construction of the course. Two local businessmen have been claiming ownership of the land where the course will be built.
"Have they not started the course? You mean they could stop it?" Player said. "That is very disconcerting. Not a pleasant way to work. You could do a golf course in two years, but to have the golf course in what I call perfect conditions you need three years. If they started already, it's fine, but they don't want to stop it now, they want to keep going."
Rio de Janeiro organizers started work at the golf course site last month and construction is expected to begin this month. Construction was originally planned to start last October.
Golf made its debut at the second modern Olympics in Paris in 1900, but was dropped after 1904 in St. Louis. It was reinstated in 2009 and is guaranteed to be at the 2020 Games.
"I'm so excited about Brazil getting the Olympics and having golf in the Olympics, which is bigger than my personal feeling, golf is bigger than my personal feeling, your country is bigger than your personal feeling. It will be very nice and it will be a successful Olympic Games in this country."
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