Rory McIlroy didn’t mince words and in the process delivering a further setback to golf continuing in the Olympics beyond 2022.

Moments after Jordan Spieth admitted withdrawing from the Olympics was the ‘hardest decision I’ve ever had to make’, McIlroy said he would rather tune into the Rio Games to watch track and field, swimming and diving competitions and ‘stuff that matters’ rather than his fellow golfers battling for a gold medal.

‘Honestly, I don’t think it was as difficult a decision for me as it was for him,’ said the 27-year-old Northern Irishman. ‘I don’t feel like I’ve let the game down at all.

Rory McIlroy says he would rather watch other Olympic sports ‘that matter’. Photo – Getty’s

‘I didn’t get into golf to try and grow the game. I got into golf to win championships and win major championships, and all of a sudden you get to this point and there is a responsibility on you to grow the game, and I get that. But at the same time that’s not the reason that I got into golf. I got into golf to win. I didn’t get into golf to get other people into the game.

‘I get where different people come from and different people have different opinions. But I’m very happy with the decision that I’ve made and I have no regrets about it. I’ll probably watch the Olympics, but I’m not sure golf will be one of the events I watch.’

Asked to elaborate, the world No 4 replied: ‘Probably the events like track and field, swimming, diving, the stuff that matters.’

And no sooner had he made those comments and the back headlines in all tomorrow’s leading UK sports pages was assured.