Jordan Spieth backs out of the Olympic golf tournament at the last minute
Jordan Spieth will not represent the United States in the 60-player men’s Olympic golf tournament. Less than 12 hours before the world No. 3 had to make a decision to compete or not, the two-time major winner took a pass.
The announcement was made by members of the International Golf Federation during a news conference discussing the Olympic golf tournaments the day after the qualifying deadline passed with the completion of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and the U.S. Women’s Open.
Spieth, who hedged his Olympic commitment at the U.S. Open in June, was featured prominently in advertising promoting golf’s return to the Olympic program after a 112-year absence. At the U.S. Open, however, Spieth had an interesting pre-tournament exchange during a news conference that suggested he was on the fence about participating. He joins world No. 1 Jason Day, world No. 2 Dustin Johnson, world No. 4 Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and others as players who have chosen to skip the Olympic tournament for myriad reasons.
Many players have cited the threat of Zika virus as a reason to withdraw their names from consideration. Others, like Scott, have said the idea of Olympic golf doesn’t appeal to them. Others still, including Brendon de Jonge, have said they’d prefer to play on the PGA Tour in an effort to retain their status for next season.
Only one woman, Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa, has backed out of the 60-player women’s Olympic tournament.
World No. 15 Matt Kuchar will replace Spieth in the four-man American contingent in Rio de Janeiro, which is now also comprised of Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed, who replaced Johnson.
