“I’ll probably watch the Olympics, but I’m not sure golf will be one of the events I watch”, said McIlroy.”probably the events like track and field, swimming, diving, the stuff that matters”.
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However, McGinley, who guided Europe to Ryder Cup glory in 2014, says McIlroy’s focus must be on The Open. It wasn’t an easy decision for me.
“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”, Chamblee said.
McIlroy insisted earlier this week in the run up to The Open Championship in Troon that he was not in the sport to “grow the game” – but rather to win majors and other top tournaments.
Rory McIlroy ruffled a lot of feathers in the sports world Tuesday when he denounced golf as an irrelevant Olympic sport. The Open Championship is there to be won and Rory is one of the favourites on a course that will suit him.
“I think his comments are unacceptable, it think it’s a lack of appreciation for how the Olympics can just transcend an individual sport”.
“But squash certainly asked for a pledge from all the top players to sign it saying we would be there if we got in the Olympics, and golf also came up with a pledge that golfers signed to say if it got in the Olympics they would be there”.
Golf is making its first appearance in the Olympics for the first time since 1904, but 20 men including the top four in the world rankings have pulled out, many citing concerns over the Zika virus.
McIlroy added: “I think I would have elaborated a little bit on the “grow the game” comment”.
“I told him he had to do what was best for himself”, Fowler added after giving a lesson to schoolchildren at Troon as part of the HSBC Hour, which offers an hour of free golf to children and their families at nearly 300 golf clubs across the UK.
“I feel I’ve done my bit to grow the game”, added the world number four.
But the world number seven is keen to take what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity given that golf’s Olympic future beyond 2020 will be decided next year.
The Northern Irishman has also said he does not feel a responsibility to help grow golf’s worldwide profile, which was one of the prime motivating factors in the sport’s push for Olympic inclusion.
” Maybe I’ll cause enough of a stir that Rory’ll turn it back over to golf at some point”, Fowler told Press Association Sport. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could win”.
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“I don’t really know of any drug that can give you an advantage all the way across the board”, he admitted.
