Rory McIlroy ‘monitoring’ Zika spread, may skip Olympics

Rory McIlroy is engaged (for the second time) and thinking about starting a family in the next couple of years.

It’s through that lens that McIlroy appears to have developed concerns about the spread of Zika virus and his potential involvement in the 2016 Olympic golf tournament in Brazil. The Irish Open winner hasn’t ruled out taking a pass on Rio.

“There’s going to be a point in the next couple of years where we’re going to have to think about starting a family,” McIlroy said, according to the BBC. “Right now I’m ready to go but I don’t want anything to affect that.”

The world No. 3 McIlroy, who would to represent the Republic of Ireland in the Olympics, has been reading reports about the spread of Zika, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, including its spread in Brazil, estimates of how long it remains in the body and the effects the virus could have on babies developing in the womb.

“As it gets closer I am relishing the thought of going down there and competing for gold,” McIlroy said. “But I have been reading a lot of reports about Zika and there have been some articles coming out saying that it might be worse than they’re saying and I have to monitor that situation.”

McIlroy said he is planning to get immunized on Wednesday for as many diseases as possible that he could encounter in Rio. However, there is no vaccine for Zika.

Were McIlroy to turn down an opportunity to play in the Olympics, he would join the likes of Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Marc Leishman, Vijay Singh and Miguel Angel Jimenez who have all withdrawn their names from consideration. However, that choice might make McIlroy eat his own words.

Two weeks ago at the Wells Fargo Championship, McIlroy said the litany of players withdrawing could negatively impact how the International Olympic Committee perceives the sport and affect the sport’s future in the Olympic program beyond the two Games the sport is guaranteed in the program. The IOC will vote in 2017 to determine if golf remains in the Olympics beyond 2020.

“It’s obviously being played in Rio this year and it’s being played in Tokyo in 2020. 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.

He added, “If we don’t somehow change the narrative of getting people more excited about it…I’m worried.”

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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