Spieth’s loss to the Olympics will not be the gain of the John Deere Classic, which is being played opposite the Games, beginning on August 11.
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Four-time Major victor Rory McIlroy has stoked golf’s Olympic row further by saying he may not even watch the competition in Rio next month because he considers it to be of such little significance. On average, we get tested four or five times a year.
McIlroy then capped his stance with a massive haymaker that he’d watch the Olympics, just not the golf, instead focusing on track and swimming to “watch the stuff that matters”.
“But whether there is something out there where it can make you an overall better player, I’m not sure”. But I didn’t get into golf to grow it – I got into it to win’.
However, McIlroy, who is six shots off the lead after the first day of the Open, has tried to elaborate more on his comment that he “didn’t get into golf to try to grow the game”.
He said it would be easy for golfers to get away with taking the likes of HGH and it’s time the sport takes drugs testing seriously. It jibed with his all-American image, and it certainly helped him land endorsements from the likes of Coca-Cola, the Olympic sponsor for whom Spieth, the world’s third-ranked golfer, is now a global ambassador.
“I’m very happy with the decision that I’ve made and I have no regrets about it”, he said.
He was the last golfer to withdraw and plenty had said that Zika was the main reason. It’s potential golf won’t be in the Olympics very long.
“But I’ve spent seven years trying to please everyone and I figured out that I can’t really do that, so I may as well be true to myself”. “There are drugs that can make you stronger and make you concentrate more, but none that can make you a better all-round golfer, as far as I am aware”. “I can probably honestly say that”, Spieth said. As it has been nearly exclusively male players who have been withdrawing from Rio, the International Olympic Committee could potentially consider whether to drop the men’s event and keep the women’s tournament for Tokyo.
“We have to respect the individual decisions even if they are going contrary to recommendations given by the World Health Organisation (on Zika)”, Bach told a small group of reporters when asked about the mass withdrawals.
Golf’s controversial return to the Games has been turned into something of a joke by the withdrawal of 20 players – including the top four in the world. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could win”.
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Travis Tygart, head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, is one of several people who have said that if the report does confirm the allegations of systemic doping are true, then Russian Federation should be banned from the Rio Olympics.
