McIlroy is right

Rory McIlroy has always been one of the more candid and engaging of the world's great golfers.

Earlier this week, he explained why he turned down an invitation to play golf in the Olympics, and mentioned that he got into golf to win, not to grow the game.

He's right on so many levels. Among them:

1. He's a championship golfer. He grows the game by hitting great shots.

2. As he said on Thursday after the first round of the British Open, he does engage in grass-roots attempts to grow the game.

3. Although he didn't put it this way, you can't ask professional golfers to treat the Olympic tournament like it's a major. The players already play four majors, a couple of quasi-majors and the Ryder Cup.

This is the problem with putting sports like golf in the Olympics. For most Olympic athletes, the Olympics are the apex of their career, their life goal. For golfers it's just another tournament, and I don't blame those who admit it.

Another interesting note about the first round at The Open: At one point this morning the top seven players on the leaderboard were Americans. Johnny Miller said he believes that's a result of the great young wave of talent that took up the game when Tiger Woods was winning. It's also a pretty good sign for American chances at this year's Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, especially with Paul Casey ineligble and Ian Poulter injured.

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Noon today (Thursday) at Hell's Kitchen we're doing the Roy Smalley's Chin Music Show and giving away a Brian Dozier bobblehead. Please stop by to see our baseball show from The Minnesota Sports Podcast Network - MNspn.com.