Woods thrilled as IOC plans to have golf in Olympics

New Delhi: Golf is just an International Olympic Council (IOC) vote away from having the chance to compete for a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.

An IOC committee on Thursday recommended golf and rugby sevens to be included in the 2016 Olympics.

"We have received a lot of comments from major golfers who want to go to the Olympic games especially what is very rejoicing is this is the young generation that would be at their peak in 2016. Secondly the same question was raised time and time again with tennis and ice hockey. Ask Nadal, ask Federer, ask the NHL players, ask the NBA basketball players of the Dream Team. They all want to go to the games. It is a major objective for them so absolutely not concerned about that," said IOC President Jacques Rogge about the decision.

A final decision by IOC would be taken on October 9 at Copenhagen.

Tiger Woods, who is presently taking part in the US PGA Championship, would be 40 at the time of the 2016 Olympics.

"I'd love to play for the rugby team, that would be great. No, I think it's great for golf. We're long overdue to have it in the Olympics. Our sport is a global sport. It's played all around the world. And I think it's a great time and hopefully it will be passed in October or November and hopefully it will be truly in the Olympics," said Woods.

Interestingly, Woods won the 1999 and 2006 PGA Championships at Medinah, a course located in the suburbs of Chicago, which is a candidate city for the 2016 Olympics.

Even top Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh was thrilled by the news.

"It is the fastest growing sport in our country today and I just feel that if it comes in, I think it's going to boom. With that we're going to have more public driving ranges, more public courses. We've just got one public driving range, one public golf course. With golf coming to the Olympics I think every state would have a public driving range and I think that will help a lot of kids that have a dream to follow in this game. Gives them an opportunity to go try it out," said Singh.