For Many LPGA Players, Promoting Golf at Olympics Is Worth Zika Risk

When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in 2009 that golf would make a grand return to the Games at Rio 2016, the anticipation began to build: Who would represent their respective countries? How would the course set up? Would Tiger Woods be well enough to compete? Would it be a team format or individual?

One question that did not seem to enter the minds of golf fans? Whether golfers would even want to play in the Olympics.

With the Games less than a month away, more than fifteen PGA Tour members already have opted out of participating, most citing the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil as the main factor in their decision. While most people who are infected with the mosquito-borne virus experience no symptoms or mild symptoms like fever, joint pain, and rash, the disease can cause severe birth defects during pregnancy; it has also been linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can cause paralysis.

The risks have been enough to dissuade the world's top male golfers from competing in the Games. In June, world No. 1 Jason Day released a statement on Twitter saying he would not be going to Rio. "While it has always been a major goal to compete in the Olympics on behalf of my country," the Australian said, "playing golf cannot take precedent over the safety of our family."

And last Friday, Dustin Johnson ranked No. 2 in the world after a U.S. Open victory, pulled out of the Olympics. "This was not an easy decision for me," he said in a statement. "But my concerns about the Zika virus cannot be ignored."

Both golfers said that they and their wives plan to have more children, and that they didn't want to put them at risk. Yet of the women on the LPGA, so far only South Africa's Lee-Anne Pace has pulled out citing the virus.

"After weighing up all the options and discussing it with my family and team, I have decided that due to the health concerns surrounding the Zika virus, I will not be participating," she wrote in a statement.

It remains uncertain if more LPGA players will follow her example. America's Stacy Lewis, ranked No. 8 in the world, hinted at the possibility.

"I wouldn't say I'm a hundred percent going," she said last month. "It's just so hard. As an athlete, how do you pass up the Olympics? It's unfortunate that we're the ones that have to make a decision. You'd almost like to see a governing body or somebody like that kind of put their foot down and say, 'No, we're not going.' But there's too much money in it, I don't think that will ever happen. It's hard being an athlete, that's your dream, and to say you're not going to go, it's a hard decision to make."

Lewis's statement, while certainly rooted in practicality of medical safety, expressed what many male pros have not: she really does want to play and for her to have the opportunity to play in the Olympics is a privilege, one that she would not want to pass up. She isn't alone on the LPGA Tour. In an anonymous survey conducted by Sports Illustrated, 40 percent of LPGA players stated they would rather win a gold medal than a major championship. Only 29 percent of PGA players said the same.

While Jordan Spieth, who announced he wasn't going to the Olympics on Monday, called his withdrawal "probably the hardest decision I've had to make in my life," others seem less torn. Ireland's Rory McIlroy, ranked No. 4 in the world, pulled out of the Olympics in April. He later defended his decision by saying, "We dream of winning Claret Jugs and we dream of winning green jackets. I've said to people I have four Olympic Games [major championships] a year. That's my pinnacle. That's what I play for."

That attitude stands in stark contrast to players like Alejandra Llaneza, who will represent Mexico at Rio. As a little girl competing in gymnastics, Llaneza said, she dreamed of going to Olympics, "but once I chose to focus on golf I never thought that [competing in Olympics] was a possibility. So when I found out that golf was going to be in the Olympics again, I was extremely excited because I believe it is the ultimate test for an athlete, and golfers have not always been considered athletes."

The Olympics represents one of the few chances that many LPGA players have to represent their country in an international competition. The Solheim Cup, played every two years, is only open to players from the United States and Europe. The International Crown, a biennial event, made its debut in 2014 but with eight national teams of four players each, still only a handful of players can qualify. Since the Olympics is an individual event, every player from every country has a shot to compete if they earn enough world ranking points.

LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan told GOLF that during his six years with the organization he has never seen such a drive to qualify for an event. "The players are probably spending more time looking at the Rolex Rankings than any other time in my seven years on the tour," he said, referring to the women's world ranking system, which covers multiple golf tours.

For many LPGA players, the Olympics represent more than just a chance to represent their country. They feel a sense of obligation to help the tour grow, to get more people interested in golf—and in women's golf, in particular.

It's relatively easy to watch men on the PGA Tour: CBS and NBC air every tournament on weekends. The LPGA, however, airs mostly on the Golf Channel, which requires a cable subscription; only six tournaments (out of 34) air on broadcast networks over the weekend. This disparity is also reflected in the money at stake. In 2015, LPGA's Lydia Ko, the top female golfer in the world, won five times and had twelve top-ten finishes, earning $2,800,802. PGA tour player Jordan Spieth also won five times and had fifteen top-ten finishes that year. He earned $12,030,465.

Paula Reto, who will represent South Africa, said she believes men are not playing the Olympics because they don't need to for monetary or promotional reasons. "I believe the women are more into promoting golf and getting more attention so that in the future we can have purses as high as the men," she said. "We do it for the greater good of the game. Playing in the Olympics could possibly be an opportunity to promote women's golf worldwide."

Meanwhile, McIlroy this week doubled down on his decision to avoid the Games, saying he didn't feel any responsibility to grow the game. "I didn't get into golf to try and grow the game. I got into golf to try to win championships and win major championships," he said at a press conference for the British Open on Tuesday.

"All of a sudden you get to this point and there's a responsibility on you to grow the game. I get that, but at the same time that's not the reason I got into golf. I didn't get into golf to get other people into the game. I'm very happy with the decision I made, and I have no regrets about it."

The women's enthusiasm to play in Rio does not mean they aren't concerned about Zika, though. "Yes, we all are afraid and continue to look for ways to prevent from being infected," Reto said.

Llaneza also has fears, but taking precautionary measures eases her mind. "We are being informed about how to avoid it like wearing long sleeves and using spray," she said. "But I am a believer of living life to the fullest and risks are everywhere in everyday life, not just with Zika, so it's just a side note on this amazing experience that we can have."

Giulia Sergas, who has represented Italy in the Solheim Cup, and will go to Rio in August, sees nothing but positives from competing in the Olympics, despite Zika concerns. "This event is not about you or me. This event is about commitment, sportsmanship, and for love of the game," she said. "We need golf to be part of the Olympics, we need the top players to show the world that golf is a wonderful sport and that kids can still dream, and dream big."

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