Golfers skipping Rio not in line with WHO

Troon - The International Olympic Committee says it "respects" the decision by several top golfers to skip the Rio de Janeiro Games because of the Zika virus.

But the IOC and its president, Thomas Bach, are also pointing to the guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has not recommended any restrictions on travel to Rio.

Also, the IOC says there is much less threat of contracting mosquito-borne viruses during the winter months in South America.

Bach told German news agencies that "these are individual decisions taken by the players that stand in contrast to the WHO recommendations."

He also says "it is obvious that this does not help the attractiveness of the golf competition."

Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth have all decided to sit out golf's return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.