For the second time in a week, a golfer ranked in the top 5 in the world is leaving the Olympic field, because of concerns of the Zika virus.
No. 1 Jason Day, the defending champion at the PGA Championship, made his announcement on Tuesday.
“The sole reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus and the potential risks that it may present to my wife’s future pregnancies and to future members of our family,” Day said in a statement. “I have always placed my family in front of everything else in my life.”
This is the first time golf has been included in the Olympics since the 1904 games in St. Louis. There is some growing thought that many top golfers are backing out of the competition because it is a week without a pay date and will interfere with their travel schedules.
Ireland’s Shane Lowery also announced he would not compete on Tuesday.
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