Photo, above: George Paletta, Jason English, Eric Willis, Patrick Fairfield, Garrett Ray, Kyle Sheffler, Dan Cohen, Tim Sims, David Moons, and Nick Lane.

Those who play together, stay together—that is the motto of the ten golfers in EMBA 43 who managed to carve out a long weekend to break away for a golfing adventure.

EMBA 43 played 84 holes over three days, three courses, and even some unfavorable rain. From Westwood Country Club in St. Louis to Frenchlick Resort and Victoria National in Indiana, these EMBA alums made their annual golf outing a true masters event.

Similar to their Executive MBA days, the golfers broke into teams of five, as Team Captains Garret Ray and Kyle Sheffler drafted their picks. Perhaps the captains even used some learnings from Business Analytics and Decisions to choose their teammates, assessing their handicaps and the likely variances to occur in their favor.

When these EMBAs get together they are “back at Olin,” with good friends and challenging terrain—discussing everything from the physical obstacles on the course, to career challenges, life’s curve balls, and everything in between. The “play of the day” went to Dr. George Paletta, who climbed into water to rescue a stray shot. George’s team, led by Garrett, came home with the green jackets. The fun didn’t stop on the golf course, as the group was able to use their knowledge of probability and odds—maybe even some game theory—at the casino in the evening. It was reported that Jason English was the overall casino king, as well as the golfing champion—one might call him the Beta Gamma Sigma of the trip. This tight-knit group spent 20 months together in Olin’s Executive MBA program—but that wasn’t enough. They are already planning their 2018 trip!

Click on image to expand photo.

Olin hosted its 20^th Annual Golf Invitational at the Sunset Country Club in St. Louis Monday, August 1, 2016. More than 100 alumni and friends of Olin participated in the  4-person scramble, 18 hole tournament. The morning started off a little dreary with some light rain and clouds, but that didn’t stop our teams from teeing off for a fun day on the links.

Congratulations to Scott Pinson, Chad Blatz, Kyle Pogue and John Jones on winning first place!

The golfers gathered for appetizers and cocktails in the club house where prizes were presented. First place went to the team with a dynamic EMBA duo: Kyle Pogue (EMBA’14), Scott Pinson, Chad Blatz (EMBA’14), and John Jones. Each team member received a certificate from Sunset Country Club for a complimentary round of golf.

Congratulations to the winning team and the players who aced each of the special prize categories:

Longest Drive: Turner Peters (MBA’14), Mary Jo Gorman (EMBA’96)

Closest to the Pin: Tom Barry

Putting Contest: Jeff Patton (PMBA’08)

Thanks to all of the alumni and friends who participated in this year’s Invitational.  And many thanks to the generous support from the following sponsors:

Clayton Corporation                               Commerce Bank

Garlich Printing Company                     HIMagine Solutions

Olin’s Graduate Programs Office          Maryville Technologies

                   Merrill Lynch                                             Midwest BankCentre

North Highland Worldwide Consulting

Spartan Light Metal Products, Inc.           Takara Belmont – Koken Division

A very special thank you to AB-InBev for supplying beer for the event.

If you are interested in this event and want to learn more about how you can participate in next year’s Olin Golf Invitational, please contact the Olin Alumni Office at olin.alumni@wustl.edu.

As the Olympic Games approach, Brazil’s government remains in turmoil after a corruption scandal. There’s also concern about crime and water quality in the host city Rio de Janeiro.

And then, there’s the Zika outbreak.

The mosquito-borne virus proven to cause severe birth defects has hit Brazil particularly hard, and left athletes with a difficult choice: risk possible infection or give up the chance to compete on the world stage.

One group of athletes in particular is dropping out of the Summer Olympics en masse: male golfers, most of whom are on the PGA Tour. And while they’re citing Zika concerns, Patrick Rishe, director of the Sports Business Program at Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin Business School, said there’s another factor at play.

“It’s all about the cost-benefit analysis of whether it’s worth it to professional male golfers to compete in the Olympics,” Rishe said. “For male golfers, there is much more money and glory in being a major championship winner.”

“Jordan Spieth’s withdrawal from the Rio Games means the top four players in the world, including Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson, have withdrawn from the Olympics, citing Zika as the primary reason,” Rishe said.

“We have golf back in the Olympics for the first time since the 1904 Games in St. Louis, and it will only feature four of the top 10 players in the world, and just eight of the top 15.”

For many athletes, the games are the pinnacle of their careers, with financial rewards and endorsements coming after Olympic gold. As Rishe recently wrote in Forbes, for pro golfers, that’s not the case. He points to the fact that the pro golf schedule is packed with major events that are occurring just before and after the Olympic Games. With too many chances to rake in millions, the golfers are simply choosing to rest up rather than compete in Rio.

“For male golfers, the cost-benefit comparison is reversed,” Rishe said.  “What are the benefits? Playing for your country? The pride of winning a medal against a watered-down field? There is no prize money, and this fact alone may have deterred some from Rio.”

Guest Blogger: Erika Ebsworth-Goold

Image: Chick Evans, 1915, Bain News Service, Flickr, The Commons