May 05--Golf will make its long-awaited return to the Olympics this summer, but the way things are going, it may not stick around for long.
PGA Tour veteran Marc Leishman withdrew from consideration on Wednesday, adding his name to a list of top players skipping a trip to Rio de Janeiro.
That worries Rory McIlroy because his sport was readmitted to the Games on a trial basis and is not guaranteed a spot beyond 2020 in Tokyo.
"I'm not sure if we're going to have another opportunity to win a gold medal after that, depending on what happens," McIlroy said this week at the Wells Fargo Championship.
So far, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Vijay Singh have opted out of Rio. The list could grow longer.
Travel and scheduling are a big part of the problem, with the Games taking place during a busy stretch that includes the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, the British Open and the PGA Championship.
There are also doubts about the format and how the Olympics rate in importance compared to the major championships and other big-money tournaments.
Leishman had a more important reason for pulling out -- the health of his wife, Audrey, who nearly died from toxic shock syndrome last year. Her immune system has not yet fully recovered.
"We have consulted with Audrey's physician and due to her ongoing recovery from toxic shock and potential risks associated with the transmission of the Zika virus, it was a difficult yet easy decision not to participate," Leishman said in a statement.
Other players -- such as McIlroy and Rickie Fowler -- have expressed enthusiasm about trying for a different sort of win.
"Maybe I might look back in 20 years' time and a gold medal might be one of my crowning achievements in the game," McIlroy said.
