Charl Schwartzel is the "latest top-tier golfer to withdraw" from the Rio Games, joining fellow major winners in Fiji's Vijay Singh, Australia's Adam Scott and fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen, all of whom "cited concerns about the PGA Tour's busy summer schedule as a factor in their decision," according to Pete Madden of GOLF.com. Golf HOFer and South Africa native Gary Player posted "a lengthy note on Twitter expressing his disappointment" at Schwartzel and Oosthuizen's decisions. Player said, "I would have given anything to play in the Olympics" (GOLF.com, 4/25). GOLF CHANNEL's Will Gray noted the decisions from Oosthuizen and Schwartzel "did not sit well" with South Africa-based Sunshine Tour Exec Dir Selwyn Nathan. He said, "They will regret later why they didn't go to the Olympics. But I believe they are both big boys who make their own decisions." With both players skipping the Games, the second South African roster spot "now falls to Jaco Van Zyl," who is number 59 in the Official World Golf Rankings (GOLF CHANNEL, 4/25).
JUST NOT A TOP PRIORITY: In Pittsburgh, Gerry Dulac wrote Scott “showed why golf shouldn’t be an Olympic sport.” Gold Medals “should be the highest honor there is to win in a chosen sport, especially an individual sport such as golf.” However, that is “not the case for PGA Tour players.” Dulac: “Golf is making its return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904. Do not be surprised if more players decide it’s not a big deal and do the same” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/24).
CHIME IN: SI's Jeff Ritter in a roundtable said that stars dropping out "won't exactly help build excitement, and more names will undoubtedly follow." However, things "will work out." Jordan Spieth and Lydia Ko "have gushed with enthusiasm about the event." Ritter: "Once it all shakes out Olympic golf will be a win. But stars need to show up." SI's Gary Van Sickle said, "I don't blame anyone who bails out. I wouldn't want to be the guy who brought the Zika virus to my home country." SI's Alan Shipnuck said golfers withdrawing from Olympic consideration is "bad for golf." The problem is that it now "becomes easier for other guys to bow out." Shipnuck: "What's ridiculous is citing scheduling issues; the Olympics comes after the majors. What are these guys resting for?" (GOLF, 4/24). GOLF WORLD’s Ryan Herrington noted if other tour pros “earnestly decide that participating will not be worth the time or energy, the marquee value of golf’s return to the Summer Games after more than a century will be seriously diminished” (GOLF WORLD DIGITAL, 4/25).
PASSING ON HISTORY? GOLFWEEK’s Tait & McCabe debated pros and cons of playing in the Olympics, with Tait writing elite players "have a chance to set course of golf’s history.” He added that if scheduling is “so difficult, then drop" the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational or The Memorial. Jack Nicklaus, who hosts The Memorial, “would understand.” These events “take place every season.” Tait: "Why would any golfer turn down the chance to compete for his or her country in the world’s oldest sporting competition?” Not many fans “are going to remember" who won this year's Memorial or WGC-Bridgestone or even a FedExCup playoff tournament. Most people "will remember who won Gold in Rio.” But McCabe wrote Olympic golf "fails to resonate among the game’s elite male players.” McCabe: “The Olympics simply don’t register as a priority. That’s their prerogative. It’s not our place to question them, yet we do. But why?” Int'l Tennis HOFer Pete Sampras played in ’92 and "was so unimpressed that he skipped" the ’96 and '00 Games. McCabe: "You remember him for that, or for winning 14 Grand Slam singles titles?” (GOLFWEEK, 4/22).
