DUBLIN (AP) " Graeme McDowell rejected the chance to replace Rory McIlroy in the Irish Olympic team on Thursday, becoming the latest high-profile golfer to opt out of the Rio de Janeiro Games. Next in line for Irish selection for the first Olympic golf competition since 1904 is three-time major champion Padraig Harrington. "While we are disappointed that he is not available for the Olympic Games, we sympathize with his position," the federation said in a statement. While McIlroy cited concerns about the Zika virus, McDowell said he decided months ago not to leave the United States while his wife expects their second child. McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open, said his wife Kristin was due to give birth "just a couple of weeks" after the Olympic golf ends on Aug. 20.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 23, 2016 12:22 UTC