Zika, other issues could impact Canadian men's golf team for Rio

Golf's return to the Olympics was dealt a critical blow on Wednesday when Ireland's World No. 4 Rory McIlroy pulled out, citing fears over the Zika virus.

Reached on Wednesday, Canada's Adam Hadwin, currently third in the nation and one spot outside the cutoff for Olympic participation, said he is considering his options in the event he qualifies.

"I'm having second thoughts," said the 28-year-old Abbottsford, B.C. native, who was still very complimentary of the opportunity playing in Rio could provide. "We are kind of getting contradictory information. On one hand you hear that there is no risk but then you hear from other medical experts that there could be.

"To me, what we're hearing is open to interpretation."

At present, Canada will have two players in the Olympic field with both David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Graham DeLaet, of Weyburn, Sask., comfortably inside the list. Hosting an event on the PGA Tour Canada this week in his home province, DeLaet seemed eager to participate in Rio despite recently taking time away from PGA Tour action to deal with issues in his short game.

If DeLaet and Hearn take a pass, Canada could have scant representation on the men's side, a competition won by the late George Lyon in 1904, when golf was last contested in Olympic competition in St. Louis.

Hearn is in action this week at the Quicken Loans National near Washington, D.C., and as of Thursday morning hadn't responded to a text seeking comment.

The complicated procedure for filling the field to 60 players means that Hadwin, Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., and Nick Taylor, also from Abbottsford, all remain in striking distance of a spot.

Reached on Wednesday, Fritsch was surprised that his name was still on the official reserve list. He said he withdrew his name for consideration for a number of reasons, including health fears over Zika, and the compressed golf schedule during the summer months, especially given his own injury absences (foot) since winning on the Web.com Tour earlier this year.

"I've missed so much time already this year," said Fritsch in a text message. "I feel like missing one [and probably another one or two weeks affected] wouldn't be good for me moving forward."

Not unique

Fritsch's situation is not unique. Though all Canadian players have voiced excitement of representing their country, the reality is that they must also ensure they keep their job next season as well.

Fritsch's Web.com victory and another runner-up finish means he will be returning to the PGA Tour in 2017. But remaining high on that tour's money list is key for getting as many tournament starts out of the gate this fall.

To varying degrees, DeLaet, Hadwin and Hearn will each need to continue to collect money and FedEx Cup points in order to re-stamp their PGA Tour card for 2017. Taylor will be exempt next season by virtue of winning in Mississippi in the fall of 2014.

Fritsch has been respectful but candid in his Twitter posts over the past several weeks after players such as Australians Adam Scott and Marc Leishman, along with South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, withdrew their name from consideration.

Zika is a relatively new problem facing Games organizers. Security is also an underlying concern. Though steps have been taken in Rio to curb violence, and soccer's World Cup went off without major problems two years ago, the sprawling Brazilian metropolis is still a violent place.

"It's Rio – no thanks," said Fritsch, who has travelled extensively in Latin America as part of the Web.com Tour's schedule there.

Concerning golf specifically, many PGA Tour players have heard disquieting news about the venue. Its construction was plagued by delays and as a result wasn't playable until more than a year after it was originally intended to open. That meant a full-fledged test event was never held at the venue and there are concerns among players of its suitability for the world's best players.

To date, the withdrawals have all come on the men's side. None of the leading women's players have dropped out and speaking on a conference call last week after her win at the Women's PGA Championship, Brooke Henderson of Smith Falls, Ont., said she still considers it an important part of her schedule for the remainder of 2016.