After more than 100 years, golf has the possibility of becoming an Olympic sport.

During the Aug. 13 meeting of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board, the recommendation was made to have golf become an Olympic sport for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Golf and rugby were the two sports recommended by the IOC during the meeting in Berlin. These two were chosen from seven options, which also included squash, karate and baseball.

The full IOC assembly, made up of 106 members, will vote on whether or not to include golf and rugby in the Games on Oct. 9 in Copenhagen. The decision will come a week after the site of the 2016 Games is announced. The host city will be one of the final four choices: Tokyo, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro or Chicago. If golf is approved, the chosen city will host golf as an Olympic sport for the first time since the 1904 St. Louis Games.

However, I have read several articles and blogs that oppose golf becoming an Olympic sport. One surprising reason for the opposition is that several big-name professional golfers don’t care whether or not golf becomes one. If players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson don’t play in the Olympic event, the level of interest will decrease severely.

Another, and most predominant reason, is that golf is already an international sport. Golfers from around the world compete in PGA and Nationwide tournaments every weekend. And while most of those tournaments are in the U.S., the players still travel to other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Mexico.

On top of that, the Ryder Cup, which occurs on even-numbered years, pits the U.S. against Europe; and the President’s Cup sees the U.S. take on the rest of the world, excluding Europe, during odd-numbered years.

Since golf is already an international game, what would be the point of making it an official Olympic sport?

The fact is, there isn’t a bigger national stage than the Olympic Games. The Olympics are a spectacle watched by billions of people worldwide. Entering golf into that platform would only help the sport gain popularity.

Although many golfers would prefer to have the green jacket from the Masters or the Claret Jug from the British Open over an Olympic gold medal, that could change in the near future. If golf becomes cemented as an Olympic game, the gold medal will become more desired. Though it may never be as prestigious as the green jacket, it will be still be a coveted honor.