Jason Day joins chorus concerned about 

Zika virus at Rio Olympics

By Jim McCabe

GOLFWEEK.COM

Jason Day pondering (Golfweek/Tracy Wilcox)

DUBLIN, Ohio — They may be close in the Official World Golf Ranking, but when it comes to No. 1 Jason Day and No. 3 Rory McIlroy there appears to be a wide gap in the way they view the Zika virus controversy that is hanging over the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Two days after McIlroy seemed to brush off fears (“It’s a virus, and it works its way our of your system,” he said), Day struck a more somber concern.
“I don’t think it’s an Olympic issue. I don’t think it’s a Rio issue. I think it’s a medical issue,” Day said to a group of reporters after shooting a second-round 71 at the Memorial Tournament.
Day cited the case of Detroit Tigers pitcher Francisco Rodriguez, who contracted the virus in his native Venezuela during the offseason and was sick for a month-and-a-half. 
 “We just don’t need that,” said Day, who is playing the best golf of his career, having won seven times in his last 17 tournaments.
While McIlroy didn’t seem concerned about the fact that there is no vaccine for Zika, explaining that he had already had all of the other shots recommended for visitors to Brazil, Day said he did have concerns.
“(What) if I go there, get it, and bring it back?” Day said. “They don’t know. The recommendation from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is X, but you don’t know how long it will last in your body. So, I am a little wary on it.”
The Zika virus, spread by mosquitoes, has been linked to microcephaly, a condition in which the head and brain are underdeveloped in newborns.
Earlier Friday, Charl Schwartzel confirmed to the Associated Press that his reason for withdrawing his name from consideration was strictly because of the threat of the Zika virus.
Schwartzel and fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen already have said no to the Rio Games, as have Aussies Adam Scott and Marc Leishman.
Other heralded names such as Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson have spoken excitedly about going to Rio.
But Day, who has two young children with his wife, Ellie, hardly sounded as if he were in line with them.