TROON, Scotland—Jordan Spieth withdrew from the Olympics on Monday, leaving golf without its top four players when the sport returns to the games for the first time since 1904.
Spieth was the last of the top players to say he wasn’t going to Rio, telling the IGF it was out of health concerns. It was the latest blow to a sport that had lobbied hard to get back into the Olympics and had the support of the top players until fears arose over the Zika virus, security and other issues facing the Rio Games.
“There is no doubt that the number of withdrawals hasn’t shed golf in the best light, and we have to accept that,” said Peter Dawson, president of the International Golf Federation.” But we do understand why these individual decisions have been taken.
