World No. 1 Day leery of Zika, unsure of Games

3:11 PM ET

DUBLIN, Ohio — For the first time, Jason Day has publicly expressed doubts about playing in the Olympic golf tournament in Rio de Janeiro for fear of contracting the Zika virus.

Day, 28, the No. 1-ranked player in the world, has long spoke of his desire to compete in the Games and represent Australia, despite the reservations of others, including countryman Adam Scott, who pulled out due to scheduling issues.

But Day said Friday after the second round at the Memorial Tournament that the story he read about Detroit Tigers pitcher Francisco Rodriguez contracting the virus concerned him enough to reassess his own situation.

“The Detroit player — he was sick for a month and half and we just don’t need that,” Day said.

He said his participation will come down to making “a smart, educated decision.”

“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 that’s attached to the what happens if I go there, get it, and bring it back,” Day said. “Because they don’t know. The recommendation from the CDC (Center Disease Control ) is ‘X,’ but you don’t know how long it will last in your body for. So I am a little …

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