Rory McIlroy Withdraws from Olympics, Cites Zika Concerns
By Sam Belden
Rory McIlroy has backed out of the approaching Summer Olympics, putting another damper on golf’s return to the Games.
Olympic golf, to be played at this summer’s Games in Rio for the first time in more than a century, just lost a big-time star. Four-time major champion and world No. 4 Rory McIlroy has removed his name from consideration for the competition, citing concerns about the Zika virus.
Some years ago, McIlroy’s choice between representing the UK and representing Ireland was a major storyline in golf. He eventually chose the latter, but it now looks like the whole exercise was for nothing, dealing a serious blow to the Emerald Isle’s medal hopes.
McIlroy is the latest high-profile golfer to pull out of these Olympic Games. Others, like Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Marc Leishman and Vijay Singh, have also refused to travel to Brazil, citing reasons that range from scheduling problems to Zika concerns.
The 27-year-old McIlroy announced the news in a statement on Wednesday morning. According to ESPN.com, the statement reads: “After much thought and deliberation, I have decided to withdraw my name from consideration for this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“After speaking with those closest to me, I’ve come to realise that my health and my family’s health comes before anything else.
“Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low, it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take.
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“I trust the Irish people will understand my decision. The unwavering support I receive every time I compete in a golf tournament at home or abroad means the world to me.
“I will continue to endeavour to make my fans and fans of golf proud with my play on the course and my actions off it.”
The International Golf Federation, the organization in charge of Olympic golf, responded, saying that it “recognizes that some players will have to weigh personally a unique set of circumstances as they contemplate their participation in golf’s historic return to the Olympic Games.”
Clearly, the IGF has decided to grin and bear it — not that they have much of a choice. Golfers are independent contractors, and their scheduling decisions, good for the game or not, need to be respected. If Fred Funk was allowed to skip the Open Championship in favor of the B.C. Open back in 2004, then McIlroy has every right to do the same thing with the Olympics.
Even so, the organization has to be massively disappointed. There seems to be an apathy problem in the men’s game — in addition to the aforementioned golfers who have already dropped out, names like Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Danny Willett are refusing to make a definitive commitment in interviews.
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Meanwhile, there hasn’t been a single case of a female golfer removing her name from consideration. This is in spite of the fact that Zika, which has been linked to birth defects, poses a far greater health risk to women.
Why the discrepancy? As with many things, it probably comes down to money. The top men’s players rake in tens of millions of dollars per year; if they miss out on a chance to grow the game, well, so what? On the LPGA Tour, the purses are a fraction of the size of those in the men’s game. Although the women’s game features a number of charismatic stars and weekly events that are arguably even more thrilling than those of the PGA Tour, it can’t seem to draw a proportional number of fans.
Thus, the LPGA players probably view the Olympics as a major opportunity, one that could insert their sport into more markets and eventually increase the amount of money in the game. On the men’s side, there’s just not that sense of urgency.
No matter the reason, this summer’s men’s competition will suffer greatly if top players continue to drop out. McIlroy is the latest domino to fall, and you have to think that the next is coming soon.
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