Friday 12 August 2016 00:02, UK
Justin Rose was delighted with the "energetic and passionate" spectators in Rio as he played a starring role on the first day of an Olympic golf tournament since 1904.
Rose hit what is believed to be the first hole-in-one in Olympic history at the 191-yard fourth, and he went on to fire a four-under 67 as Marcus Fraser led the way after a superb nine-birdie 63.
Open champion Henrik Stenson also enjoyed an encouraging start as he fired a 66, and Rose believes the high-profile absentees from the competition will regret their decision to pull out.
"It was really fun," said Rose. "Still lower numbers of crowds than we are used to, but a lot more of an energetic and passionate crowd and definitely more patriotic.
"People were out there with flags and wearing their various team colours which makes it something unique and different and you feel like you are representing not just Team GB, but a nation as well."
Asked about the players who withdrew, he added: "This is great competition. You just have to look around at the scale of the Olympic Games and what a big deal it is. This is competition of the highest level and that's what I live for. From that point of view they are missing out on a great competition."
With the top four players in the world not competing, the IOC may decide to remove golf from the Olympic schedule after the 2020 Games in Toyko, but International Golf Federation president Peter Dawson remained confident that would not be the case.
"It's the end of a long journey, or the beginning of a new one," said the former R&A chief executive shortly after Adilson Da Silva had struck the opening tee shot. "We're off to a great start. I think Adilson said it all there - the relief on his face when he hit a good drive was a lot more than for a normal event. These guys are up for it, which is wonderful to see."
Home favourite Da Silva added: "I was nervous on the first tee. My head was everywhere... don't do this, don't make a scene, but I managed to calm myself down and hit a good shot."
Fraser, meanwhile, was delighted to take advantage of several of his higher-ranked fellow Australians pulling out of the Games as he got off to a flying start in blustery conditions.
World No 1 Jason Day, Adam Scott, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones all decided against competing in Rio, and Fraser said: "I'm glad they decided not to come. I really wanted to be here. This week is something I will look back on in later life as really special.
"My kids can say their dad is an Olympian and that was a big part of wanting to do it, for them. They will be waking up in the morning in a state of shock that their old man is leading the Olympics."
