Leishman skipping Rio due to wife’s health

Marc Leishman won’t be playing golf for Australia at the Rio Olympics in August, citing concerns over the health of his family because of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

Leishman on Thursday joined a list of leading golfers who are skipping the Olympics, including countryman Adam Scott. His concern isn’t about the schedule, though.

Leishman’s wife, Audrey, nearly died last year from toxic shock syndrome. After consulting with doctors, the No. 35-ranked Leishman decided he couldn’t risk the trip to Brazil.

“Last April my children and I almost lost Audrey,” Leishman said in a statement released by the PGA of Australia. “Since then Audrey has been prone to infection and is far removed from 100 per cent recovery of her immune system.

“We have consulted with Audrey’s physician and due to her ongoing recovery and potential risks associated with the transmission of the Zika virus it was a difficult yet easy decision not to participate.”

Brazil is at the centre of a Zika outbreak, with Rio de Janeiro getting special attention because 10,500 athletes and up to 500,000 foreign visitors are expected for the Games. Last month, U.S. health officials said that enough evidence existed to say the virus causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads.

“I missed playing in the 2015 Masters tournament to be at her side when she was originally stricken and I cannot risk placing her health in jeopardy,” Leishman said.

Scott, South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel and Fiji’s Vijay Singh — all former major winners — have also said they won’t compete at Rio, mostly due to scheduling commitments.