But, Spieth said, “Nobody’s going to understand what it’s like to be in my shoes”. His job is to do what he dreamed of as a youngster in aiming to win Claret Jugs and green jackets.
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Everybody is on their guard. “The Claret Jug is something I’ve held in my hands, I was with (fellow American) Zach Johnson the night he won it previous year”. McIlroy entered the room at little before 1.30pm.
Golf pundit Brandel Chamblee has called the Northern Irishman’s comments that he wouldn’t be watching the Olympic golf because he’d be watching something “that matters”, “an insult”. It spooks them better than any ghost or ghoul.
“I’ll probably watch the Olympics, but I’m not sure golf will be one of the events I watch”, he said. “I haven’t been blood tested yet”.
“On average I probably get tested four to five times a year (including tests conducted on the PGA Tour) which is very little compared to the rest of the Olympic sports”. So, I mean, for example, HGH … you can’t really pick it up in a urine test. “I think if golf is in the Olympics and golf wants to be seen as a mainstream sport as such, it has to get in line with the other sports that test more rigorously”.
The women’s game has seen no such major withdrawals. He utterly trashed his sport’s record in the battle against doping.
McIlroy and Spieth join Shane Lowry, Graeme McDowell, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott, Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel and Fiji’s Vijay Singh in not travelling to Brazil to participate. Then when I watch these guys competing on the golf course.
McIlroy did not appreciate the reference, politely reminding everybody that he has four majors.
McIlroy was composed, but you could tell he was angered.
The men’s Olympic golf will be held from August 11-14, with the women playing from August 18-21. “I didn’t get into golf to try and grow the game, I got into golf to win championships and win major championships”, added McIlroy. “You’re just going to be jealous when I get the gold”. “I will be, I’m sure, at times pretty upset that I’m not down there”. I got into golf to win.
This was odd stuff from McIlroy. In a fit of pique, he came across as selfish and uncaring, a star who was only in it for himself.
So, golf – in the Olympics – doesn’t matter. “I’m not sure”, he replied.
Which events will he watch?
The long line of withdrawals has raised questions about whether golf should be an Olympic sport.
“One of the big things here, you just have to keep it out of the bunkers”. In that moment McIlroy was more Keith Moon than Ringo Starr. Even though hes out of the Olympics, Spieth said he wont go to the John Deere. “I don’t know how I’m going to hit a shot this week”, joked Spieth before adopting a more serious tone. Spieth made the announcement yesterday he will not be playing in the Summer games. He lives in Texas, one of 46 US States that has reported cases of Zika. This is health concerns as a whole. “And just at the time that I had to make the decision, I just felt this was the right move for me”. This was something I struggled with.
“Honestly, I don’t think it was as hard a decision for me as it was for (Spieth)”, McIlroy said.
TROON: Justin Rose is hopeful the threat posed by the Zika virus will prove to be a “non-event” as he explained his decision to compete at the Rio Olympics next month. He knew there was a contradiction between word and deed, but there was nothing he could do about that. Do I think it looks bad on golf? Whether you believe it or not, so be it. This is just something that was very challenging for me.
JORDAN SPIETH has labelled his decision to withdraw from the Olympics as the hardest of his life and feels it will “loom” over him throughout the Games.
“I can tell you that I’m not specifically pinpointing any one thing in my health concerns either”.
“Unfortunately it’s a money-oriented sport as well, so they don’t earn any money for going to the Olympics”. He said it was a tortuous decision.
It’s odd and unusual and all a bit freaky that so much time so far this week has been consumed by talk about the Olympics, especially in a week when the oldest Major championship of them all is on the line. I love the tournament.
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On Thursday, yes. On Tuesday, it was dig and counter-dig. He’s still only 27, an enormous talent who surely has some of his best golf still in front of him.
