After a hot and sweaty practice round at the PGA in Valhalla a couple of weeks ago New Zealand radio accosted my boss Greg on his way to the sanctuary of the locker room.

Aware that he is usually good value for a witty quote, they decided to probe him about his thoughts on golf and the Olympics. Odd I thought, asking a man who is as far from the physical fitness mentality as a "sportsman" can be. His idea of lifting weights is occasionally having to pick up his golf bag. Greg Norman had been talking about the coming Olympic Games in his native land and of course his part in them (he will carry the torch over Sydney Harbour Bridge). So when Turner was asked what he thought, his caustic reply was: "Why would golf with its relatively untarnished reputation want to be associated with a bunch embroiled in nothing but scandal?"

A valid question in a game where, if a competitor unwittingly infringes a rule is turfed out unceremoniously from the competition. Citing the unfortunate case of Padraig Harrington at the Belfry earlier this year, where the whole world realised, with the evidence presented by the authorities, that Harrington was not looking for any advantage by not signing his card. He broke a rule and therefore paid the price. Golf is one of the few big money sports left where the principles remain intact on the actual playing field. On the manufacturing side, however, I'm not so sure. The same can not be said for many other sports.

For example, dignity and honesty are not words that spring to mind when watching the antics on a football pitch. The most diligent preparation for some athletes appear to be done in the laboratory, mixing performance-enhancing potions. "What can I get away with?" seems to be the bottom line in many modern sports.

In the year 200 people are generally more health conscious and more inclined to observe a fitness regimen combining a balanced diet with regular exercise. Golfers today, in general, are looking trimmer and fitter than their counterparts of the 60s and 70s. Whether their fitness or the improvement in equipment is the reason that professional golfers hit the ball longer distances, is hard to say. I have heard many pros saying that they had spent the winter in the gym pumping weights and attributing this to the greater distances achieved.

How was their short game (their touch and feel) with the extra muscle though? Weight gain and loss in golf without pure technique seems to be detrimental rather than enhancing.

There is no doubt that the travelling gym, physiotherapists, pure mineral water, bananas and muesli bars were not de rigueur until relatively recently on tour. But I believe that it is the improved equipment that has players hitting the ball greater distances, not necessarily the bulging and well massaged laterals.

Greg Norman has transcended the pro-golfer-only barrier and become a very successful businessman. Anyone who witnessed him expose his torso to an adoring Melbourne public at the close of the last President's Cup, when he took off his shirt and hurled it to the crowd, would agree that he could match most Olympians for primed athletic features.

But that should be as far as his pectoral comparison with true athletes should go. "The Shark" is a fine specimen, to the non-sports person his physique could well be mistaken for that of a sprinter; he does stand out amongst the average golf physique.

The Olympic torch will be well placed in "The Shark's" Corinthian clutch gliding over Sydney Harbour Bridge. Donning the green jacket or hoisting the Claret Jug, Wannamaker or US Open trophies is what has motivated the world's best golfers to higher levels of performance in the past. The majors are the tournaments that they are chasing and an Olympic gold medal could not be put on the same shelf as one of the top four prizes.

I suppose that someone like "The Shark" is seeing the relative decline in his golfing career and would like to extend his sporting fame through different channels, like the Olympics.

The world cup of golf was an attempt to emulate its soccer counterpart. It has become a tournament that can only lure its finest exponents with financial incentives. It is not a sought after title amongst golfing greats. Its inception into the "World Tour" is another attempt to revitalise the event this year in Buenos Aires. This is where golf would be if it was included in the Olympic Games. The only valid reason that I can draw from players sentiments on the issue is the increased state subsidies for the game as a result of being included in the Games.

Let's leave the Olympics to the athletes, the only substance enhancing a golfer's performance today is whatever Tiger is on. It is legal, lethal and a condition that every golfer dreams of, it's called extraordinary natural talent, mental superiority and dedication. Golf can preserve its reputation as Turner said by giving the Olympics a wide berth.