Olympic chiefs will look at the number of top golfers not playing at Rio this summer when deciding if the sport should be at future Games.
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Spieth, the last of the top four to pull out of the Games, cited “health concerns” including – but not exclusively – the threat of the Zika virus for his absence. He believes “blood testing is something that needs to happen in golf just to make sure that it is a clean sport going forward”.
Other male players, though, said the Olympics held no allure for professional golfers who would rather compete for the sport’s four major trophies – such as the Open, which starts at Royal Troon on Thursday.
Jordan Spieth has branded his decision to opt out of the Olympics in Rio as the “hardest” he’s ever had to make in his life.
“If anything Zika should be a concern for female golfers and athletes and it’s incredible the positive feedback we’ve had from our LET players”, said Khodabakhsh. “I got into golf to win major championships. I bounced back and forth with [it] and ultimately a decision had to be made yesterday, so I made it”.
“It will loom over me throughout the Olympic games, for sure”, he said.
When asked what he would turn his television on for during the Games, McIlroy added: “Probably the events like track and field, swimming, diving, the stuff that matters”. “I’m willing to take that little bit of risk there is and go play”.
“I felt that 10 and 11 were probably two of the hardest holes on the course, but I felt that I negotiated those pretty well and I actually hit two of the best shots all day on 13 and ended up taking six so that was disappointing”.
The 27-year-old said: “I don’t feel like I’ve let the game down at all”.
Bach told German news agencies that “these are individual decisions taken by the players that stand in contrast to the World Health Organization recommendations”.
World number one Jason Day, number two Dustin Johnson and two-times Major victor Jordan Spieth have all withdrawn.
Justin Rose has led the counter arguments to Rory McIlroy’s suggestion that Olympic golf does not matter to elite players. With 18 other players having withdrawn, he was looked upon as someone whose commitment might ease the backlash against golf for its perceived indifference about the sport returning to the Olympics.
“I totally respect and understand their perspective and their decision, and it obviously comes down to personal reasons, and you have to respect that”. But McIlroy, who only officially withdrew from the Olympics a few weeks ago, said the IGF gave him only a single urine test on the Friday of the U.S. Open (June 22).
“I could understand unease from any female athletes, especially young ones, when it comes to the virus”, said the 49-year-old German.
“I will continue to carry it with me through these Games and for a while I think”.
“I texted Rickie immediately after I decided and said, ‘Rick, I’m sorry, buddy, but I’m not going to be joining you down there”, added Spieth. He says his main goal is to win major championships.
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“The Claret Jug is something I’ve held in my hands”, said Spieth, who was on the plane back home from St. Andrews previous year with Zach Johnson, who won the Open.
