Rory McIlroy found himself bizarrely fending off an annoying insect as he spoke of not being abuzz with the worth of golf in the 2016 Olympics given the withdrawal of so many of the game’s best male stars.

The return of golf to the Olympics in recent weeks has become a case more of who is not competing rather than who will tee-up.

Double Major Jordan Spieth could be the next to pull the plug on Rio given his fears not only in contracting the Zika virus but with the overall security of the Games,

McIlroy, who is returning to competition at this week’s 100^th French Open in Versailles and after missing the cut at the U.S. Open, says he wants to be remembered for the Major Championships he’s won rather than capturing an Olympic medal.

Rory McIlroy at his pre-French Open press conference.

“Whether golf should be in the Olympics well it’s not for me to say as I wasn’t a part of the voting process,” said McIlroy.

“The R&A and some of the other bodies that run our sport thought it was a great idea, and obviously it is, to try and get golf into different markets, and the Olympics is obviously a great platform to do that.

“But I’ve said to people, I have four Olympic Games a year. That’s my pinnacle. That’s what I play for. That’s what I’ll be remembered for.

“The Olympics is a good tool to grow the game around the world, I think it’s great and I think that golf in the Olympics is great for that.

“Also some people argue that it would have been better to send amateurs there, but the whole reason that golf is in the Olympics is because they wanted the best players to go and compete.

“But unfortunately with where it is this year, people just aren’t comfortable going down there and putting themselves or their family at risk.

“It’s an unfortunate situation that we find ourselves in. I’d say if the Olympic Games were in most other cities or most other countries in the world this year, you wouldn’t find as many people not wanting to go and participate.”

Quand un moustique attaque Rory McIlroy en conférence de presse https://t.co/7glXlJAvyT via @lequipe

— Open de France Golf (@OpenFranceGolf) 29 juin 2016

And in a very timely interruption to his response McIlroy waving his arms about to fend off an annoying insect.

“Mosquito?  Now isn’t that a surprise,” he said laughing.

But in returning to the serious, McIlroy indicated he would sit down and reply to an ‘open letter’ addressed to him by the CEO of the Little Prince Children’s Hospital in Rio, and the largest in Brazil, virtually pleading with him to visit Rio either before or after the Olympics.

Also in the ‘open’ letter, the hospital urged McIlroy to help transform his concerns  around the Zika virus and consider ‘taking a lead in galvanising the sporting profession in supporting the hospital’s media researchers.

McIlroy responded to the ‘open’ letter saying:  “I feel I already do enough for charity and I focus on causes that are close to home.

“I know it’s a huge concern down there and they are trying to protect mothers and their children. Look, if I had of been down there and things had of been different, of course I would go and try to visit the hospital and try to raise awareness.

“But maybe another time.

“And I will show them the decency and courtesy to write a letter back, and explain to them my concerns on why I’m not going down there.”

McIlroy is among six Irish in the field including Padraig Harrington arriving direct from Tokyo to Paris on a near 12-hour flight post his top-10 finish on the Japan Tour.