Spieth is the latest golfer to say he was not going to Rio, telling the IGF it was for “health reasons”.
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“Why was it so hard?”
Spieth stated he struggled with his decision to withdraw from the Rio Olympics.
“I had talked to Jordan on Thursday maybe just to see like where he was at and what he was thinking”, Johnson said.
“I bounced back and forth with, and ultimately a decision had to be made yesterday (Monday), and so I made it”. Nobody’s going to understand what it’s like in my shoes. After all, when he last played the Open, he won it.
Such comments can do little to help golf’s prospects of remaining an Olympic sport in the long term after the damage already done with the spate of big-name withdrawals.
That didn’t stop him from following his instincts.
Spieth faced a deadline for his decision because the competitors from various countries were decided on Monday. “People don’t know what I know about myself, and my future, and my goals, and therefore there’s nothing I can do about it except go on and try and focus on this week”. Golf is a selfish game.
McIlroy gets comfortable at Royal Troon.
While the symptoms of the virus – which include a rash, headaches and joint pain – are not severe, it has been linked to microcephaly in newborn babies and some cases of the muscle-weakening disease Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults.
“I don’t really know of any drug that can give you an advantage all the way across the board”, he admitted.
“I think the Zika risk is going to be one of those things that we look back at and think it’s a non-event hopefully”, Rose said. “That’s what he said”.
Spieth missed out on the play-off 12 months ago by a single shot and had to watch Zach Johnson pick up his second major victory. In contrast, the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic will be staged during the men’s Olympic event, although Jordan Spieth will not defend his title after pulling out of the Games.
“I crave to have that trophy in my possession at some point”, he said. It wasn’t an easy decision for me. “This year I just had to try and weigh a risk that doesn’t present itself every year”.
Massaro told BBC radio 5 live: “I think part of being a professional athlete is also to grow the game and be a role model for young people watching on TV, and the Olympics is the flawless opportunity to do that”.
“I was pretty sure all along I wanted to go play unless the threat would have gotten worse, then it would have been a very different story”. I fully recognise and understand that.
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Golf apparently ranks low on the list of sports McIlroy might watch during the Games in August. The golfer said he has “no regrets” about turning down the opportunity to compete for Ireland. “I’ll be texting Rickie (Fowler), obviously, throughout as a good friend of mine”. Spieth made the announcement yesterday he will not be playing in the Summer games.
