Peter Dawson, and President of the International Golf Federation (IGF) believes golf’s top-ranked players have overreacted to concerns of the Zika virus at next month’s Olympic Games.Dawson, who is the former CEO of the R & A and organisers of this year’s Open Championship, hosted a Royal Troon press conference Monday to confirm the final list of 60 male competitors who will tee-up in Rio de Janerio.

However, a glaring omission from the list was World No. 3 and double Major winning Jordan Spieth.

Dawson revealed Spieth had phoned Ty Votaw, Vice-President of the IGF earlier in the days to advise the IGF, as organisers of golf’s return to the Olympics for a first time since 1904, that he would not be travelling to Brazil.

“He (Spieth) called up earlier today just before this press conference, and he’s going to be addressing his reasons for choosing not to participate tomorrow,” said Dawson.

“But in the phone call, it was out concern for the health issues that we’ve been talking about.

“I should say now that I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to discuss individual cases, especially as they’re generally discussions have been taken on health issues.

“Speaking collectively though, there is no doubt that the number of withdrawals hasn’t shed golf in the best light.  Hasn’t shown golf in the best light, and we have to accept that.

“But we do understand why these individual decisions have been made.

“Personally, I think there’s been something of an overreaction to the Zika situation, but that’s for individuals to determine, and there’s certainly a great deal of concern about this issue inside the game of golf, no doubt about that.”

Attending the conference was Anthony Scanlon, Executive Director of the AGF, who addressed the long-term  effects the withdrawal now of 17 of the game’s leading male players, including among them the top four ranked players – Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Speith and Rory McIlroy – will have on golf returning to the Olympics full time post 2022 in Tokyo.

“In the Rio Games there are 306 events and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) will be reviewing each of those 306 events individually and then making a decision as to what events remain in the program for Tokyo and beyond,” said Scanlon.

“They’re also be made a strategic decision to allow organising committees to also add extra events to that.

“The other change that’s been a positive one for golf and for rugby is since that time, the Olympic charter has been changed to allow both rugby and golf to be listed as one of the international federations in sports that can be considered for the Olympic program.

“So that’s a considerable change to we were in 2009.”

Scanlon supported Dawson’s ‘overreaction’ remarks and stressing it is winter in Brazil at present and the threat of the Zika virus is diminished.

“Within the golf course itself, we do have water and we’re surrounded by that, but certainly the risk has diminished,” said Scanlon.

“And that risk is there, and that’s a decision for each of the players to access, and some have assessed it as a risk too high.”

Dawson added:  “I take great heart though from the fact we haven’t lost a greenskeeper ye, and it is going to be winter time.”