Golfer McIlroy decides to skip Rio Games, citing Zika concerns
Golfer says Zika virus is ‘a risk I am unwilling to take’
Golfer Rory McIlroy became one of the most highprofile sports stars to opt out of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of concerns about the Zika virus, saying Wednesday it is “a risk I am unwilling to take.”
“After speaking with those closest to me, I’ve come to realize that my health and my family’s health comes before anything else,” the four-time major winner said in a statement released by his management company.
The fourth-ranked McIlroy was scheduled to play for Ireland as golf makes its return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.
The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) said it was “extremely disappointed” not to have McIlroy on its team.
“However, as we have always said, it is down to the individual and of course we respect his decision, which he has taken for personal reasons,” the OCI said in a statement.
The 27-year-old McIlroy said this month that he and his fiancee, Erica Stoll, may consider starting a family “in the next couple of years.”
“Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low,” McIlroy said, “it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take.”
Australian golfer Marc Leishman has already pulled out of the Olympic tournament, citing concerns over the health of his family because of the mosquitoborne virus which is linked to severe birth defects and possible neurological problems in adults. Leishman’s wife, Audrey, nearly died last year from toxic shock syndrome.
Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Vijay Singh have also said they won’t compete at Rio, mostly due to scheduling commitments.
Last month, 150 health experts issued an open letter to the U.N. health agency calling for the games to be delayed or relocated “in the name of public health.” The agency, the World Health Organization, responded that such steps would “not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus.”
The OCI said it has been taking its lead on the Zika situation from the International Olympic Committee.
“They have provided us with every assurance and we have total confidence that the games will be safe for all athletes,” the Dublinbased organization said.
Tiger Woods: Tiger Woods can play soccer with kids and ride a bike but hasn’t progressed far enough in his rehab to set a timeline on when he’ll return to professional golf.
Woods, who hasn’t played on the PGA Tour in 10 months after two back surgeries last year, isn’t yet able to play 36 holes a day and practice how he’d like. Before getting back, he said he’d have to play several days to show his body can handle the workload.
“I need to get to where I can play 18 holes out here and go to the range for an hour and work on my game,” Woods said Wednesday on the eve of the first round of his Quicken Loans National tournament. “That’s what I used to do, that’s one of the reasons why I think I’ve had some success — I was able to work on it during the week. Just not quite there yet.”
The 40-year-old is battling soreness day-to-day when he practices and said he needs to get into golf shape some more. He hasn’t had any setbacks and hasn’t lost distance on his drives, but the strain of playing on consecutive days is still a struggle.
Woods said he has pushed through injury rehabs before and vowed not to do it again. He missed nine months in 2008 and 2009 after surgery to repair the ACL in his left knee.
Inbee Park: Inbee Park withdrew from the U.S. Women’s Open because of a left thumb injury. The tournament is July 7-10 at CordeValle.
The second-ranked South Korean player won the event in 2008 at Interlachen and 2013 at Sebonack. She has been fighting inflammation in the tendons and ligaments around her thumb. Park last played in the KPMG Women’s PGA, the final event she needed to complete the 10-year requirement for the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Yunjie Zhang, a 17-yearold Chinese amateur, got Park’s spot in the field. Zhang was the first alternate from Chinese qualifying site. Hannah Burke of England, the first alternate from the English qualifying site, also got into the field.
Etc.: Jordan Spieth is returning to Australia for the third straight year. He said he would play Nov. 1720 at Royal Sydney in the Emirates Australian Open, which he won in 2014 . ... Lawyers for 168 caddies have filed an appeal seeking to overturn a ruling that dismissed their class-action lawsuit against the PGA Tour that they were treated as “human billboards” for having to wear bibs with a sponsor’s logo.