But after McIlroy got himself into a dark pit, he dug himself further into the ground with his next comments when asked if he would watch Olympic golf on TV.
"I'm not sure," he replied. If not golf, which events would he watch? "Probably the events like track and field, swimming, diving - the stuff that matters."
The stuff that matters? Doesn’t he care about the game which has since rewarded him with multi-million dollars in earnings and endorsements?
American Jordan Spieth also cited health concerns for his decision to pull out of the Olympics although his PR handlers were a bit sharper than McIlroy’s. “This is probably the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life.” He added he was a "huge believer in Olympic golf, a huge believer in playing for my country."
Strangely enough though, some observers pointed out that Spieth has played tournaments in Ohio and Pennsylvania, where incidence of Zika have been recorded. He also lives in Texas, one of 46 US States that has reported cases of Zika.
Masters champion Danny Willet, thankfully, will be amongst the 60 men in Rio to represent England alongside Justin Rose. He took a gentle swipe at those who pulled the plug.
"You've got more chance of getting malaria in South Africa than you have of getting Zika when you go to Rio," said Willet. "If there was an Olympic Games down in Johannesburg, would guys pull out because of malaria?”
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