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Rory McIlroy withdraws from the Olympics


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16 minutes ago, MSchott said:

While these multimillionaires don't need the Olympics I would not say it's a pointless exhibition. Athletes play for love of country all the time. Including the men's BB team. Golf is not a team game in the Olympics but playing for their country is still meaningful to these guys. Not Ryder Cup important but still significant.

If there was an actual team component to the olympics then it might've swayed some of the top mens players more. I know I would probably be me more into it. But the format as it is now is basically a meaningless exhibition for a lot of the top guys. The value of Olympic golf is really as a springboard in countries where the game is not developed and growing the women's game. I kind of think golf should be amateur only in the Olympics for the men. Or make it 24 and under only like Soccer does for men. It would preserve the spirit of it more. 

Edited by Groucho Valentine
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I think if this event were held in December, there'd be more intrigue. The timing is just bad. These players put a heck of a lot more into the majors, WGCs and even the FedEx Cup and Ryder Cup than they do the Olympics. And all these things mentioned are circled right around the Olympics. There could even be fear of terrorism down there. That'd scare me more than Zika. I think given it's the first time ever golf is being featured will prompt many to still play, but after this year I'm not sure you'll see it become as popular moving forward in the Olympics unless it comes to a place like the U.S. or Europe.

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5 hours ago, Gunther said:

He won't be the last.  These Olympics are on thin ice (ya, I know, that metaphor works better for the winter olympics).  IOC had a chance to choose Dallas but I guess our elders didn't pad enough wallets.

Thin chlorinated pool water?

Thin synthetic track?  (Or Thinthetic)

Nah, ice works best. :P


Its unfortunately for everybody but I understand - is probably do the same.

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11 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Thin chlorinated pool water?

Thin synthetic track?  (Or Thinthetic)

Nah, ice works best. :P


Its unfortunately for everybody but I understand - is probably do the same.

I could have said hanging by a thread?  I liked the ice metaphor better.  I'll use it again when Zika hits Sapporo or Innsbruck.

 

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Edited by Gunther
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It is interesting that he calls out the virus. When the previous golfers dropped out, Scott for example, he was careful to not say that the virus was the reason he dropped out. He made up some excuse when really the virus was the most likely reason he dropped out. 

Michael

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I can't fathom why a world ranked golfer would want to expose themselves to the risk of playing in the olympics.  The zika virus is a concern of course, but so is the crime and the disorganization of the olympics.  One thing that nobody discusses is also the drug testing that olympians are subjected to.  I don't know that I could pass all the drug test, but then again, I am not in the running for the olympics.  

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I would have much preferred to see the Olympics do something out of the box like coed teams or even some form of team Stableford.  Playing as individuals in standard stroke play is no different than the golf we see almost every week.  

Unless a pro is a big fan of the Olympics and wants a gold medal it's not worth battling the crime, worrying about Zika and playing on a new course that no one is certain of the condition.   

Joe Paradiso

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13 hours ago, Gunther said:

He won't be the last.  These Olympics are on thin ice (ya, I know, that metaphor works better for the winter olympics).  IOC had a chance to choose Dallas but I guess our elders didn't pad enough wallets.

No doubt, given the IOC's recent penchant to stage the Olympic Games in third world hellholes! After his experience at Sochi, Bob Costas is liable to perform his host duties in a hazmat suit!

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8 hours ago, Deryck Griffith said:

I recently last minute cancelled on a wedding trip to the Caribbean due to the Zika virus. My travel agent and other agents I know all warned that the threats are absolutely legit.  It was my call to make and I decided to not risk it (and others did the same thing).

IIRC, Rory was one of the most vocal PGA Tour Pros on what a privilege and how much it would mean to him to compete in the Olympics.  So to me, to go from that (complete enthusiasm) to now withdrawing tells me he's obtained further information on the risks.  He more than likely weighed the options and probably said, "why even go?"  He's young, has a new lady in his life and considering this isn't a make or break event, it's a simple decision really and I don't think there is anything really more to it than that.

If the Zika virus didn't exist, and there weren't so many other unknowns (there is also talk about some super bacteria lingering too?), I'm pretty sure he would have gone.

 

Spot on..........

"Getting paired with you is the equivalent to a two-stroke penalty to your playing competitors"  -- Sean O'Hair to Rory Sabbatini (Zurich Classic, 2011)

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8 hours ago, Deryck Griffith said:

I recently last minute cancelled on a wedding trip to the Caribbean due to the Zika virus. My travel agent and other agents I know all warned that the threats are absolutely legit.  It was my call to make and I decided to not risk it (and others did the same thing).

IIRC, Rory was one of the most vocal PGA Tour Pros on what a privilege and how much it would mean to him to compete in the Olympics.  So to me, to go from that (complete enthusiasm) to now withdrawing tells me he's obtained further information on the risks.  He more than likely weighed the options and probably said, "why even go?"  He's young, has a new lady in his life and considering this isn't a make or break event, it's a simple decision really and I don't think there is anything really more to it than that.

If the Zika virus didn't exist, and there weren't so many other unknowns (there is also talk about some super bacteria lingering too?), I'm pretty sure he would have gone.

I agree 100% with everything you said except for the last part.  I don't think the top pros really care all that much about the Olympics because its not something that they have striven towards since they started golfing---they want majors and ryder cups and the olympics was just kind of dropped on golf right in the middle of the most important part of the year for golfers.

To be honest I am completely underwhelmed by golf in the Olympics and feel like it is almost being forced down our throats by the golf media.  I really only want to see sports like track and field, swimming, diving...etc where the biggest achievement in the sport is to win an Olympic gold .  Mainstream sport athletes just don't seem to care quite as much about the Olympics because there are bigger and better things for them to work towards which cheapens the Olympics and takes away coverage from the other sports which people only pay attention to every 4 years.

 

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4 minutes ago, InTheRough said:

I agree 100% with everything you said except for the last part.  I don't think the top pros really care all that much about the Olympics because its not something that they have striven towards since they started golfing---they want majors and ryder cups and the olympics was just kind of dropped on golf right in the middle of the most important part of the year for golfers.

To be honest I am completely underwhelmed by golf in the Olympics and feel like it is almost being forced down our throats by the golf media.  I really only want to see sports like track and field, swimming, diving...etc where the biggest achievement in the sport is to win an Olympic gold .  Mainstream sport athletes just don't seem to care quite as much about the Olympics because there are bigger and better things for them to work towards which cheapens the Olympics and takes away coverage from the other sports which people only pay attention to every 4 years.

 

This. A lot of marketing out there for a product that nobody really wants. Good to see the players are rebelling against all the fake hype.

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9 hours ago, Deryck Griffith said:

I recently last minute cancelled on a wedding trip to the Caribbean due to the Zika virus. My travel agent and other agents I know all warned that the threats are absolutely legit.  It was my call to make and I decided to not risk it (and others did the same thing).

IIRC, Rory was one of the most vocal PGA Tour Pros on what a privilege and how much it would mean to him to compete in the Olympics.  So to me, to go from that (complete enthusiasm) to now withdrawing tells me he's obtained further information on the risks.  He more than likely weighed the options and probably said, "why even go?"  He's young, has a new lady in his life and considering this isn't a make or break event, it's a simple decision really and I don't think there is anything really more to it than that.

If the Zika virus didn't exist, and there weren't so many other unknowns (there is also talk about some super bacteria lingering too?), I'm pretty sure he would have gone.

I agree, for the last 7 years my family and I would take a cruise to the eastern and western Caribbean for summer vacation.  This year due mostly to Zika we're spending a week in Bermuda instead.  

Rory's interview with Feherty seemed to indicate he wasn't as excited to represent Ireland as he had been.  I'm not sure if that played a major role in the decision but if he felt Ireland wouldn't really appreciate his representing them then that combined with all the other negatives of the Olympics in Brazil makes it a no brainer.

Joe Paradiso

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What I'd hoped would be an energizing spectacle of golf, is turning into a s**t show.

As a Canadian, oh, and we're 112 year defending champs, I'd hoped for a more robust format for an Olympic

event where the mantra ; "Higher, faster, stronger," reflects the Olympic charter . The man that

won the trophy and medal in 1904 was George Seymour Lyon, an amateur from Lambton Golf Club,

Toronto. He didn't pick up a golf club till he was 37 years old. At 46 , he won the gold medal, beating the current

American Amateur Champion,Candler Egan, a man half his age.

He did it by playing 36 holes of stroke play on the first day of the tournament to advance, which was

followed, by 5 days of 36 hole match play each day,

That is, Herculean, and worthy of a medal;

That our favorite golfing stars are now hesitant to appear is disappointing, it opens up the questions of whether  peeing in a cup.

Is a possible motive for some, It could be more of a concern that the Zika virus

The International Golf Federation, who created the format for the Olympics can take much of the blame, 

but the greed of the PGATOUR and its players can't be discounted.

If we're going to have golf back in the Olympics, make it something we can all relate to and be in awe of

when we see the brilliance.of the worlds finest amateurs.

 

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GMac out, citing his wife's pregnancy.  I hope Spieth pulls out too, and maybe defends his John Deere title.

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9 hours ago, newtogolf said:

I agree, for the last 7 years my family and I would take a cruise to the eastern and western Caribbean for summer vacation.  This year due mostly to Zika we're spending a week in Bermuda instead.  

Rory's interview with Feherty seemed to indicate he wasn't as excited to represent Ireland as he had been.  I'm not sure if that played a major role in the decision but if he felt Ireland wouldn't really appreciate his representing them then that combined with all the other negatives of the Olympics in Brazil makes it a no brainer.

I'm not sure he wants the pressure of it as well. 

A few Ireland Olympic boxers bashed Rory. 

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/rory-mcilroy-olympic-withdrawal-provokes-disappointment-and-anger-ireland

First, I get his frustration. Good for him that he made the Irish Olympic boxing team. There isn't an Olympic culture with golf. It's not the pinnacle of the sport like other sports. His goals are not Rory's goals. He shouldn't project that onto Rory like Rory should be obligated to be in the Olympics. 

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12 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

I'm not sure he wants the pressure of it as well. 

A few Ireland Olympic boxers bashed Rory. 

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/rory-mcilroy-olympic-withdrawal-provokes-disappointment-and-anger-ireland

First, I get his frustration. Good for him that he made the Irish Olympic boxing team. There isn't an Olympic culture with golf. It's not the pinnacle of the sport like other sports. His goals are not Rory's goals. He shouldn't project that onto Rory like Rory should be obligated to be in the Olympics. 

I agree that it's not quite fair to project his excitement onto Rory. The Olympics was always the pinnacle of achievement for amateur athletes not pro athletes. It's completely understandable for pro athletes to not feel the draw and excitement of a long competition that pretty much only culminates in a medal when they compete for millions on a regular basis. When they started allowing professionals into the Olympic games I was extremely disappointed, I always felt it was more interesting to watch amateurs compete.

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25 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

I'm not sure he wants the pressure of it as well. 

A few Ireland Olympic boxers bashed Rory. 

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/rory-mcilroy-olympic-withdrawal-provokes-disappointment-and-anger-ireland

First, I get his frustration. Good for him that he made the Irish Olympic boxing team. There isn't an Olympic culture with golf. It's not the pinnacle of the sport like other sports. His goals are not Rory's goals. He shouldn't project that onto Rory like Rory should be obligated to be in the Olympics. 

Boxing has always been a major Olympic event for amateur boxers to make a name for themselves to progress to the professional ranks, golfers expected to participate in the Olympics are already professionals.  

I think some people thought that golfers, like pro's in basketball and hockey would find the Olympics to be an exciting opportunity but the Olympics committee ruined that by making it single stroke play competition.  Top basketball players wanted an opportunity to showcase their skills partnered with the best in the league, golf isn't a team sport.  

The ladies seem more excited to showcase their skills at the Olympics but that is because they don't get the same exposure as the men who are on major networks every weekend.  Maybe the solution is to revert Olympic golf back to an amateur only competition for the men and let the pro's stay focused on their respective professional Tours.

Joe Paradiso

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Disappointed.   I was looking forward to golf at the Olympics but it seems everyone is gonna drop out.  The IOC can't be happy.  They bring golf back and the stars drop out. 

Tony  


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