McIlroy had already caused a fuss when he chose to play for Ireland rather than Great Britain before turning his back on the Olympics altogether last month. Talking about his decision to withdraw from the Olympics due to the Zika virus – and as Jordan Spieth confessed his decision to snub the Olympics had been the “most difficult” of his life, McIlroy said: “I don’t feel like I’ve let the game down at all”.
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The Chorley squash ace is frustrated that world No 4 McIlroy, along with a host of other top golfers, will not swing their clubs in Rio despite the sport appearing at the Games for the first time in 112 years. “I got into golf to win championships and major championships”.
The four-time major victor added: “I’ve thought about Olympics and golf for the last seven years and this is just how I feel”.
And McIlroy did little to help the sport’s reputation ahead of tomorrow’s Open Championship at Troon, questioning whether golf was doing enough to justify its Olympic status in terms of drug-testing.
It’s a shame that so numerous world’s top male golfers have made the selfish decision to back out of the coming Olympic Games in Brazil. It would be nice to get a medal and if I do it will rub them the wrong way while they sit at home.
“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.
“The top male golfers have let down the rest of the sport very badly”, Khodabakhsh told British media.
When asked if he had regrets after announcing he will skip the Olympics a few weeks ago, McIlroy didn’t bite. “I don’t think there would have been a single withdrawal on the men’s or the women’s side”.
Masters champion Danny Willett will be going for the gold.
That is the case with golf, which started its drug-testing program in 2008 but has not yet gone to blood testing.
Fowler, who will represent the United States in Rio alongside Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar, understands why the likes of McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth have opted not to compete.
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Johnson has questioned the inclusion of golf, football and basketball in the Olympics, claiming that the Games are less important to those sports than other events such as Majors in golf, the World Cup in football and the National Basketball Association (NBA) league for basketball. “The impact of the Olympics on those type of numbers across the world is part of the reason that golf is a success as an Olympic sport this summer”. “If I really feel the need to get that Olympic experience, hopefully I can go there and do that”.
