McIlroy stands by Rio call

Rory McIlroy is adamant he made the right call by deciding not to take part in the Olympic Games in Rio.

The 27-year-old was expected to play at the tournament in Brazil next month but, due to the ongoing fears over the Zika virus, he has decided against making the trip.

Big-name golfers have come in for criticism in some quarters that they are letting down the sport by not taking part in the competition this summer.

However, McIlroy has no regrets and says his focus has always been on winning major championships.

He told a pre-Open Championship news conference: “I don’t feel like I’ve let the game down at all. I didn’t get into golf to try to grow the game, I tried to get into golf to win championships.

“I’m very happy with the decision I’ve made, I have no regrets about it. I’ll probably watch the Olympics, but I’m not sure golf will be one of the events I’ll watch.”

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