Tour News
Jason Day out of Olympics, cites Zika concerns
Risk of the mosquito-born Zika virus has stricken another top professional golfer from Olympic consideration. World No. 1 Jason Day announced he won’t be competing in Rio, issuing this statement on social media.
— Jason Day (@JDayGolf) June 28, 2016
Day’s revelation that he won’t be competing for Australia came on the same day that Shane Lowry’s similar statement that he won’t be representing Ireland. The effects of the Zika virus on golf’s stars themselves seems slight, but they aren’t concerned for their own health.
“Many people infected with Zika virus won’t have symptoms or will only have mild symptoms,” according to the Centers for Disease Control. “The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache.”
However, as Jason Day and other pros have indicated, the primary concern for them is the sexual transmission of the virus to their wives and that resulting pregnancies could produce children with birth defects.
Day and Lowry join a growing list of pros saying “not worth it” to the upcoming Olympic competition. Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Marc Leishman and Vijay Singh have all bowed out thus far.
With Day, Scott, and Leishman out, the current Australian team consists of Scott Hend and Marcus Fraser.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Players Championship
On the heels of Scottie Scheffler’s dominant victory at Bay Hill, the PGA Tour heads a little farther north in Florida to TPC Sawgrass this week for The Players Championship. And of course, GolfWRX is on site to get a look at what the players are playing.
We’ve already spotted a new Titleist mini driver this week, and there’s plenty more.
Check out our photos below!
Pullout Albums
- New Titleist 2 wood – 2024 The Players Championship
- Cam Young testing Titleist’s new 2-wood – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Hole Nos. 17 and 18 – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Toulon Small Batch Texas putter – 2024 The Players Championship
- Swag Golf custom headcovers – 2024 The Players Championship
- New Ping PLD staff bags – 2024 The Players Championship
- SuperStroke St. Patrick’s Day putter grip – 2024 The Players Championship
- Taylor Montgomery using PuttView X training goggles – 2024 The Players Championship
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
GolfWRX is on the ground in Orlando ahead of the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
We’re assembling our usual collection of WITB photos, general galleries, and of course, gear inspired by the King himself.
We’ll continue to add to the photos below as more flow in from Florida.
General Albums
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Monday #1
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Monday #2
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Monday #3
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #2
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #1 (thanks, bvmagic!)
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #3 (bvmagic)
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #2 (bvmagic)
WITB Albums
- Matt (LFG) Every – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Sahith Theegala – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Scottie Scheffler – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Luke List – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Taylor Moore – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- David Ford – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Patrick Cantlay – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
Pullout Albums
- New Cameron putters (and new “LD” grip) – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- New Bettinardi MB & CB irons – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Custom Bettinardi API putter cover – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Custom Swag API covers – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- New Golf Pride Reverse Taper grips – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- New PXG putters – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Scottie Scheffler putter change – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Sepp Straka – shaft change to new Ventus blue – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Rickie Fowler’s new Cobra Darkspeed X driver and Denali shaft (and Radspeed 3-wood) – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Justin Rose testing Srixon Z Forged II irons – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Cognizant Classic
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Cognizant Classic —FKA the Honda Classic.
The first leg of the PGA Tour’s traditional “Florida swing,” the Cognizant Classic continues to be contested at PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, host course of the 1983 Ryder Cup and 1987 PGA Championship. The course is known for its famed “Bear Trap,” a three-hole stretch of holes that take their name from Jack “The Golden Bear” Nicklaus, who redesigned the course in 2002.
The Bear Trap includes No. 15 (a par 3), No. 16 (a par 4), and No. 17 (a par 4). All three holes involve water and have led to several big numbers from Tour players over the years.
Check out an assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums below.
We’ll continue to update the galleries as more photos flow in from Florida!
General Albums
- 2024 Cognizant Classic – Monday #1
- 2024 Cognizant Classic – Monday #2
- 2024 Cognizant Classic – Monday #3
- 2024 Cognizant Classic – Monday #4
- 2024 Cognizant Classic – Tuesday #1
WITB Albums
- Brandt Snedeker – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Max Greyserman – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Eric Cole – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Carl Yuan – WITb – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Russell Henley – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Justin Suh – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Alex Noren – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Shane Lowry – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Taylor Montgomery – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Jake Knapp (KnappTime_ltd) – WITB – – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Sam Ryder – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Maverick McNealy – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Tua Tagovailoa mini WITB (NFL QB, Miami Dolphins) – 2024 Cognizant Classic
Pullout Albums
- New Super Stoke Pistol Lock 1.0 & 2.0 grips – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- LA Golf new insert putter – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- New Garsen Quad Tour 15 grip – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- New Swag covers – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Jacob Bridgeman’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Bud Cauley’s custom Cameron putters – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Ryo Hisatsune’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Chris Kirk – new black Callaway Apex CB irons and a few Odyssey putters
- Alejandro Tosti’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Joohyung Tom Kim’s “new” center-shafted Scotty Cameron putter – 2024 Cognizant Classic
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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MikeA
Jul 3, 2016 at 1:09 pm
My bet is the golfers pulling out of the Olympics are concerned about drug test…those top golfers who have bulked up significantly have all pulled out.
RedX
Jul 4, 2016 at 4:39 am
cruel call on Lowry MikeA – yes bulked up a little …
but seriously – substance free dribbling conspiracy theorists should not apply
maybe you should head to Rio
Chris C.
Jul 1, 2016 at 10:31 pm
The Brazilian government has already acknowledged that they do not have the ability to care for the thousands of children being born with severe Zika related birth defects. Para-Olympic athletes have already been attacked. Plans to deploy 100,000 military/police are in doubt due to Brazil’s inability to pay their salaries. Rio’s bay will not be safe for swimmers or sailors. Current plans call for skimmers to be deployed to scoop up fecal matter and other solid waste ( eg. Medical waste, body parts, plastic, etc). Sailors are contemplating the use of hazmat suits or dry suits. Contrary to what some posters might believe, the Olympics is not a war. It is a great athletic event and no athlete should have to compete in conditions which will absolutely place their health and the health of their loved ones in jeopardy.
desmond
Jun 30, 2016 at 10:01 pm
Jason has had enough injuries. Doesn’t need to take the risk of more. But I think it’s more about his family not taking risks.
Jordan Speeth
Jun 30, 2016 at 8:45 am
There’s no way I’d spend two weeks ANYWHERE near Rio during this Olympics. The most popular sport there is kidnapping wealthy foreign tourists for ransom, but they really don’t mind who they kidnap as long as there might be some ransom money. They also don’t take one or two people at a time, they often commandeer entire buildings with hundreds of residents in them. It’s a freaking nightmare. I wouldn’t set foot near the place. The traffic is bad enough without the Olympics and the only way these guys will get to their venues might be by helicopter. Any day, it can take hours just to get from Ipanema to Leblon. I was there decades ago (when it was better) when Michael Jackson had a concert there. Not one or two, but dozens of people were throwing “rented” infants in front of his motorcade in hopes of shaking him down for money….dozens. Ten years later, I was there for an F1 Grand Prix and witnessed a dead body in the road leading into Jacarepagua that was left laying there for at least 12 hours. I guess, at least, someone kicked the body into the opposite lane on the way out of the track. I’ve got plenty of really wealthy friends there and the nicest cars they can drive might be a Nissan Pathfinder to avoid attracting attention to their wealth. Their children have 24/7 bodyguards. I think that, at first, these young 20-something players were thinking, “hey, exotic Rio….how cool!”…then the stories from people who know probably started rolling in. I would do anything in my powers to keep any of my children from going there for any reason. I would think less of these players intelligence if they DID go. It’s not about ZIKA, or the Olympics, or the golf, or the players that are bowing out….IT’S ABOUT RIO! If these games were ANYWHERE else, they’d all be going. Wake up pundits. Maybe you’ve been coddled through there with the IOC mucky-mucks but if you think that place is safe, you’re crazy…purely delusional and, if you think the police there will be of any help whatsoever, again, you are dreaming. Why do you think they find scores of homeless street kids on the beach with a single bullet in their head every year? There is truly no place like Rio…thank God.
Mark
Jun 30, 2016 at 2:45 am
Sensible. Anyone with a family has to give these Olympics a miss. Totally corrupt and the average Brazilian is being saddled with debt for years.
Bert
Jun 29, 2016 at 3:42 pm
Good decision Jason – many reasons not to go and most of all the health and protection of you and your family is #1.
Hue
Jun 29, 2016 at 11:04 am
Zika? Please, it’s one of the two following reasons: 1) payday from their country not nearly as much as a PGA event 2) Violence in Rio. I’m putting my money on the latter.
I wonder what it’s going to be like in Mexico City next year for the PGAtour……
Seankinni
Jun 29, 2016 at 10:21 am
Well if anyone would get the Zina virus, it would probably be Jason so I don’t blame him!
Jay
Jun 29, 2016 at 8:59 am
Except, you know, this is pretty much what all runners work towards. It’s the biggest stage they compete on. Not even close for golf. Pretty sure most golfers would risk zika and getting mugged at gun point to play Augusta. Brainiac.
Jordan Speeth
Jun 29, 2016 at 8:41 pm
Hmmm, I don’t know. Augusta, GA isn’t exactly the safest place I know of either.
Jay
Jul 2, 2016 at 10:25 am
Reading comprehension clearly isn’t a strength for you.
louie
Jun 28, 2016 at 9:51 pm
drug testing, they would all fail. That’s why
300 Yard Pro
Jun 28, 2016 at 7:10 pm
Most here commenting how dangerous it is, have never been there and know nothing.
MRC
Jun 28, 2016 at 4:39 pm
Curious how much money Brazil paid the IOC to host Olympics.
Of all the beautiful countries in the world, why would anyone want to visit Brazil in the first place.
Nellaad
Jun 29, 2016 at 2:06 pm
Brazil is a nice place and Rio is one of the most geographically beautiful place in the world. Just crowded and corrupted like every other place in this world. It just matters to the degree of it. And in Rio it is up there and it is not clever corruption. It is blatant and in your face type corruption.
EagleM.
Jun 28, 2016 at 3:27 pm
I love watching olympics. It’s entertaining. It maybe a bit overrated, which makes it even more entertaining. But, it’s a interesting to read some comments (not restricted to here) as if anyone is obligated even ever so slightly to play in olympics for some particular reason.
For some, olympics is honor, nationalism, payday, etc. But, most of us really are just spectators here. For most viewers like us, it’s just a spectacle, entertainment, fun, etc. Personally, I would never encourage anyone to risk anything, especially health or family related, just for sake of other people’s entertainment purpose unless there really is a good reason to justify that risk. Obviously, for some, participating in olympics will justify that reason, but for others it won’t.
It’s just a game. Some will argue it’s a noble game. Nonetheless just a game.
rd
Jun 28, 2016 at 3:20 pm
They should strip the golf course down there and let the rainforest grow back
Tom
Jun 29, 2016 at 12:00 am
ummm sure..cause that’s what was there before?
ooffa
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:39 pm
Zika is just a convenient excuse for these guys. There’s no payday at the Olympics. That’s reason they are not playing.
Kevin
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:39 pm
Zika is a real concern, but Rio is a dangerous mess regardless of the zika virus. Zika allows these people to back out without embarrassing the IOC by having to say they believe their personal safety is at risk just being there.
HH
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:11 pm
Ahhh…a convenient reason NOT to have to play in the Olympics for golf.
Joshuaplaysgolf
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:37 pm
When in doubt, pull out.
dr. abo
Jun 28, 2016 at 12:44 pm
Tiger woods would play with Zika
Philip
Jun 28, 2016 at 12:16 pm
Wow – now I know why they are all pulling out – I checked the virus online and didn’t realize there are documented cases where it is highly likely the virus was transmitted from male to female through sex, as well as blood transfusions. Plus, there may not even be symptoms or very little (80% non detection rate). Having hundreds of thousands of individuals from all over the world go into a region currently with this issue is just total irresponsibility from a world wide health concern. Of course, one could always believe the organizers or the news media which always have the concerns of the everyday person as their priority – they even have experts stating that the risk should be able to be reduced to an acceptable level! The question is whether an acceptable level for the city, IOC and certain experts is the same for those who get infected and bring it home with them.
steve
Jun 28, 2016 at 12:06 pm
Golf in the Olympics is becoming more and more meaningless
Tom
Jun 29, 2016 at 12:02 am
unfortunately true.
EagleM.
Jun 28, 2016 at 11:53 am
Good decision, Jason! Nothing matters more than your family. Period.
Matto
Jun 29, 2016 at 12:03 am
His family was always staying home. It’s a transmittable virus.