Criticism / Suggestions » ""Players today make so mu

return to the Olympic Games after 112 years may not be as triumphant as many in the sport hoped.


The top four players in the men's game - Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy - have controversially opted to skip the competition.


Three of them cited fears of Zika, the mosquito-borne virus spreading rapidly in the Americas, while Spieth blamed more general health concerns.


Some critics, including the great Gary Player who is South Africa's Olympic captain, have suggested the absence of the top four and several others may have more to do with the lack of prize money in the Games event.


Blow to business


The no-shows represent another blow to the business of golf that has suffered since the global economic downturn and from the nosedive in form and injury struggles of 14-time major winner Tiger Woods.


The sport is struggling to grow as youngsters gravitate toward other pastimes such as soccer nike air max 270 ingrosso , with sales of golf apparel and equipment having fallen for several years.


The US ""golf economy"" declined 9.4 percent from $75.6 billion to $68.8 billion from 2005 to 2011, according to a report prepared by research institute SRI International.


Flagging sales have led companies such as -Adidas AG to scale back golf investments.


Adidas said in May it would jettison its golf equipment brands including TaylorMade, Adams and Ashworth. The company toiled in its bid to sell these brands, Reuters has previously reported.


A global event like the Olympic Games might have been expected to give the industry a much-needed boost.


Many in the sport have fought tooth and nail for decades to mobilize a worldwide effort to get golf back into the Games, Player said in April.


""Players today make so much [money] and should be giving back,"" he said.


Many of the top golfers who dropped out are in contention to win the FedExCup Series that pays out $10