“I’ve been fairly unwavering in my commitment to Olympic golf”, he said.
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Danny Willett could not hide his excitement after being named alongside Justin Rose for the Great Britain team to play at the Olympics.
Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler and Willett are among the players who will feature in Rio.
Asked whether the withdrawals diminish the competition, 2009 Women’s British Open victor Matthew replied: “Yeah, I would say it has to”.
Hull has been professional for three years, in which time she has claimed one European Tour victory.
In 2013, Hull won the LET Rookie of the Year award and a year later picked up the Tour’s Order of Merit.
Team GB have won two Olympic medals in golf following Walter Rutherford and David Robertson’s silver and bronze successes at Paris in 1900.
“It’s brilliant to be able to bring new faces into Team GB in a sport that has not appeared at the Games for over a century”, said Team GB’s chef de mission Mark England.
Carried by mosquitoes, the virus has been linked to babies being born with underdeveloped brains and the top four male golfers will not go to Rio.
“I’m also so excited and so proud that the four players that have qualified have done so because all through this process they’ve really shown a desire to be in Rio and to be part of the Olympics”.
He feels golfers are getting hammered when the actual risk may well be greater than that faced by competitors in other events.
“And obviously I’ve had my family now, I’m not going to be having any more children, so I’m really not concerned about it”. “I’ve heard that the course is fantastic and so I’m excited to get down there and represent my country alongside Charley, Danny and Justin”.
“It’s a shame, I hoped there might have been some kind of team element”. It is such an honour to be selected and I am looking forward to every moment of the experience.
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This paid dividends when he won the US Open and Rose said: “I thought coming straight to Troon with a little less distraction was going to be a good plan for me and set me up well for the week”. “But I’m very happy with the decision that I’ve made and I have no regrets about it. I’ll probably watch the Olympics, but I’m not sure golf will be one of the events I watch”.
