“Do I think being an Olympian outweighs any significant health threat? No. If I thought that the threat was significant, I certainly would not go.”
World number one Jason Day also expressed doubt about his participation over fears about the virus earlier this month.
U.S. health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies.
The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.
The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,400 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers.
The Rio Olympics take place from Aug. 5-21.
(Reporting by Nivedita Shankar in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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