When the British Open begins Thursday at Royal Troon in Scotland, the links will be played by some of the world’s top golfers, like Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. Their presence might lift NBC and Golf Channel as they begin televising the least-viewed major for the first time.
But Day, Spieth, McIlroy and others are not heading to the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, in large part because of concerns about the Zika virus. Golf Channel will most likely be hurt without their star power as golf returns to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.