But Spieth insisted that he wants to take part in the next Games in Tokyo in 2020. He had even been featured in advertisements for the August 11-14 event in Brazil.
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“You’ve got more chance of getting malaria in South Africa than you have in getting Zika when you go to Rio”, said Willett, preparing for this week’s Open Championship at Troon. “Whether to turn professional and leave school”. This is just something that was very challenging for me.
Why was it so hard?
“Drug testing in golf is some way behind the other sports, but I don’t think there are drugs that can make you better across the board”, he said.
“I get where different people come from and different people have different opinions”.
“I’ll probably watch the Olympics, probably the events like track and field, swimming, diving – the stuff that matters”.
“Obviously with golf being played around the water, 20 or 30 miles outside the city itself, and you are out on the course six hours a day, you are probably at a higher risk than most other athletes in most other sports who are in a more contained environment”.
Miguel Tabuena, the country’s fastest-rising golfer, has officially made the cut for the Rio Olympics after the International Golf Federation released its Olympic rankings. I don’t know. “It (zika) could be a non-starter”.
“I don’t think it was as hard a decision for me as it was for him”, he said, referring to Spieth. Rio has been plagued with health and security issues, and those factors undoubtedly weighed in his decision, although he would not discuss them specifically.
Golf fans around the world would have loved to see Spieth in Rio, but most will understand why he won’t make the trip to represent America.
World No. 2 Dustin Johnson and Spieth, at No. 3, are the Americans who have withdrawn from the Olympics.
Jordan Spieth during a press conference Tuesday ahead of the British Open Golf Championship.
“Not everybody’s going to understand, but trust that I believe I’m making the right decision for myself, for my future and for those around me”, he said. They’re as passionate about the Olympics as I am. They also are not in my shoes.
“I don’t think it would be an appropriate move to play that week, so I will not be playing that week”, he said. The PGA Championship is just two weeks prior and the FedEx Cup playoffs begins two weeks after the Olympics.
“It very well could be”, Spieth said.
Spieth arrived at the Open 12 months ago riding a crest of a wave, having bagged his first major titles at the preceding U.S. Masters and U.S. Open. He has finished third in the WGC Cadillac Championship, fourth in the Memorial and won his own Irish Open this season but in this Fab Four alongside Day, Johnson and Spieth, he has been branded the Ringo Starr by some uncompromising outlets.
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“I will continue to carry it with me through these Games and for a while I think”.
