McIlroy, however, does not believe illegal substances can necessarily help a golfer.
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“T he golfers are skipping Rio, not the Olympics”.
That’s an idea, by the way, which a British paper recently scoffed at by saying that McIlroy was in danger of becoming Ringo of the Beatles and getting left behind in the dust of Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth.
“I still hope to play in four or five Olympics in the future”.
If you love McIlroy, this is why you love him. It’s the most exciting sporting event for me to watch on TV.
He’s even more eager to add another major title to his trophy case.
Two years ago, McIlroy followed up his victory at Royal Liverpool by winning again in the PGA Championship.
Four-time Major champion Rory McIlroy said he didn’t agonize like Spieth over his recent decision to pull out of the Rio Games.
Golf’s controversial return to the Games has been marred by withdrawal of 20 players including the top four in the world.
Spieth, one of the favorites this week to win the Claret Jug, said he’ll make it a goal to be on the US squad in the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. “Maybe”, said Spieth, who doesn’t mind engaging with the critics.
Then, at this year’s U.S. Open, it was Johnson’s turn to shine. After some excruciating near-misses in the biggest events, he finally claimed his first major with a dazzling display at Oakmont.
McIlroy, a four-time Major victor, is one of numerous golfers to pull out of competing at the Games, citing fears over the Zika virus, the mosquito-borne disease which has been linked with a condition in which babies are born with small heads and underdeveloped brains. “Great, young talents carrying it and pushing it”. “It may well be (an overreaction) but I don’t know”.
So i s Zika the real reason? “I didn’t get into golf to try to grow the game”. Once you put it in play, you’ve got a chance to make some birdies. Just make sure you’re comfortable with the clubs you’re hitting off the tees. “I’m going to win more times than not”.
McIlroy has other things on his mind as well.
By current golf rankings, No. 5 Bubba Watson would be the top men’s player in Brazil, followed by the No. 6 player, Henrik Stenson of Sweden, who said on Tuesday, “It’s going to be quite an experience, I think”. “This is going to be hard for me to watch my peers compete for a gold medal, or any medal, and watch people stand on the stage and hear the national anthem playing”.
Golfer Jordan Spieth of the USA said withdrawing from the Rio Olympics was one of the most hard decision he had ever had to make.
“For me personally it was a big decision to carry on for this Olympic cycle but I knew I had more to give and feel like I’ve proved that”, she said.
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“But at the same time that’s not the reason that I got into golf, I got into golf to win”. Asked what kept him out of the Olympics, the 22-year-old Texan would only say that it was personal and anyone in his shoes would have made the same choice. It is assured of being part of the Tokyo Games in 2020, but the International Olympic Committee votes next year on whether golf and other events stay beyond that.
