McIlroy’s comments at Royal Troon in the build-up to this week’s Open Championship have hinted at apathy among top players towards Olympic golf.
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The top four men’s golfers in the world, including McIlroy, have now all pulled out of next month’s Olympics citing health concerns, but 32-year-old Massaro does not believe any squash players would have withdrawn.
It’s a shame that so numerous world’s top male golfers have made the selfish decision to back out of the coming Olympic Games in Brazil. Barring further defections, the US will be represented by Bubba Watson, Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar. The support of top players was a significant part of golf’s pitch to the IOC.
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will make a decision on which sports will compete in the 2024 Games before Tokyo takes place. He said that, “personally”, he had found the withdrawals an “overreaction”.
“Dustin, I’ve always said, is right up there with Jason and Rory, as the most talented athletic golfers in the world who are able to do stuff with the ball that nobody else can”, said the world No3. “So I will be going back there, I just don’t think it’s appropriate this year”.
With one day before the deadline to submit the American team for Rio, Spieth still has not made up his mind whether the threat of Zika and other security concerns are enough to keep him out of the Olympics.
He said the decision took a little more than an hour, mainly because of the time difference with his wife at home.
Spieth said he didnt make up his mind until Monday morning, and the decision was his alone.
“Why was it so hard?” he said.
However, McGinley, who guided Europe to Ryder Cup glory in 2014, says McIlroy’s focus must be on The Open. It’s the most exciting sports event for me to watch on TV, and to have a chance to be a part of it is something I definitely look forward to trying to do. I’ve received a lot from the game of golf.
Rory McIlroy isn’t just skipping the Olympics, he won’t even be watching the golf competition.
Second at St Andrews in 2010 and third at Muirfield in 2013, if Westwood could just make it stick on Sunday then Troon could be the venue that sees him break his duck at age 43. “I can’t. I can tell you that I’m not specifically pinpointing any one thing in my health concerns either”. He had already lost valuable time after falling during the opening two stages of the three-week race. “I will be, I’m sure, at times pretty upset that I’m not down there”. “I thought about all this ahead of time”. There’s not a whole lot of learning to do of the golf course.
Contador, a two-time Tour victor, says he hopes to recover in time to compete in the Spanish Vuelta on August 20. Maybe. Again, I’m making the decision of what I think is best for me. McIlroy said he was “very happy with his decision” to not play and didn’t think he was letting the game down by not going to Rio. “You’re just going to be jealous when I get that gold, ‘” Spieth said.
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“It was one that I’d earmarked since 2010, and possibly have a chance to win a Claret Jug there”, he said. “I think it’s likely that at the end of his career he’ll regret that moment more than any other moment in the history of his career”.
