RIO DE JANEIRO -- As the final round of the mens Olympic Golf Tournament took place Sunday, Gary Player figured it might be a nice time to get in some work on his own game.So as the women who were arriving for their Olympic tournament this week began taking their places on the driving range, so, too, did the 80-year-old Hall of Famer, pausing to chat between shots.He did more chatting than he did practicing.Nobody has been a bigger proponent of golf in the Olympic Games than Player, the nine-time major winner who served as South Africas advisor for the men and will remain for the womens competition.Critical of the players who withdrew, including the South Africans, Player was concerned about golfs future in the Olympics beyond 2020, where it is guaranteed to take place in Japan but not necessarily beyond.I got realistic, Player said. I was worried. I thought we were out. If Im the IOC (International Olympic Committee), Im kicking you out.But now Im very optimistic. You had (Henrik Stenson), the British Open champion; the Masters champion in (Danny) Willett. Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, on and on. The scorers have been outstanding, the crowds have been great.I thought thered be (only) 3,000 people and its been a roaring success. People come up to me, kids even, they say my name. Im shocked they know me. Not in America, but here in Brazil? I think weve justified our place in the Games.While it might not be quite as easy as Player believes, undoubtedly the way the mens tournament played out at the Olympic Golf Course has done much to improve its status, a feel-good ending with Great Britains Rose dueling Swedens Stenson for the gold medal with a birdie at the final hole, and American Matt Kuchar firing a final-round 63 to snag the bronze.To watch the intensity as it played out, to see the joy on their faces afterward, to hear a boisterous and enthusiastic gallery support them throughout the course was a welcome and fitting retort to the naysayers.Anybody making the decision going forward, I would just ask them, were you in Rio on Sunday? Rose said. The crowd was incredibly well supported. It was jam packed, a sellout, which is more than some of the other events Ive