Danny Willett, like Rory McIlroy, is worried about Zika & the Olympics
Danny Willett has joined the ranks of golfers who have publicly shared their worries about the spread of Zika virus in Brazil and the potential impact it might have on their participation in the Olympic golf tournament.
Days after Rory McIlroy said he is “monitoring” the situation in Rio and that developments could force him to pull out of the Games, the Masters champion echoed the sentiment.
“We are monitoring it. We’ve had an e-mail from the WHO (World Health Organization) and we are keeping on top of it,” Willett said Tuesday at the BMW PGA Championship in England. “It’s not great, is it? There’s going to be 500,000 people watching the Olympics, and you have 11,000 athletes right in the heart of where it’s at.”
Zika virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, can cause developmental problems for children in the womb. Willett and his wife, Nicole, recently became first-time parents, just ahead of the Masters. However, the couple may plan on a second child sooner than later, and it’s unclear how long Zika remains in the body. That doubt worries Willett, but he right now plans on representing Great Britain.
“If it turns out that it would be a massive threat to myself or to Nic or to the little man, then I probably wouldn’t go,” said the world No. 9. “Family comes first. But as it stands at the minute, I think everything should be okay.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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