7msports > Golf Video > Golfers using Zika as an excuse - Willett

Golfers using Zika as an excuse - Willett

Tuesday, July 19 2016 by SNTV
  • Danny Willett gave his thoughts on golf's inclusion in the Olympic Games on Sunday.

    SOUNDBITE: (English) Danny Willett, 2016 Masters champion:
    "I think where it sits for guys scheduling is very tricky and I can see why guys would choose not to play. I think it would be interesting even if Zika wasn't around I think you'd still have had a lot of guys withdrawing, purely through schedule. I think the Zika thing was a relatively simple way potentially of having a little bit of an excuse there. Like Gary said I have played Leopard Creek (in South Africa) about four of five times and every time you go down there there is more of a risk of getting malaria down there than would be of getting Zika in Rio. So I think as long as you take the proper precautions, touch wood, you should be OK. But there are risks involved and people's opinions are their own and their decisions are their own. But yeah it is a shame, but I don't think it should take away from the fact that it is still going to be a fantastic Olympic Games and there is still a fantastic field going down to Rio to play, both in men's and women's. For all the negatives that there are there, you are still going to get one of the strongest fields of the year."

    SOUNDBITE: (English) Danny Willett (on whether golf has a future in the Olympics beyond 2020):
    "Hopefully, again touch wood, I hope it goes really successfully in Rio for obviously both sides, men and women, and hopefully a few more guys can play in Tokyo and like tennis. Tennis started out and it was quite dry, there wasn't many people going down to the first one, then they introduced with tennis they introduced world ranking points into tennis and I think it's grown to be where the Olympic tennis tournament is one of their main events throughout the year. I am not saying it will be for golf, but you never know, in a couple of Olympics time it could be there again."

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