When it was announced in 2009 that golf was to be included in the Olympic program for the first time in more than 100 years, the decision was heralded for bringing one of the world's biggest sports into the Olympic tent.

But with many of the world's top golfers, including Hideki Matsuyama, subsequently refusing to play due to fears ranging from the Zika virus to security, golf's inauspicious return at Rio 2016 has sparked questions not only about the legitimacy of the event in Rio, but also of the sport's Olympic future.

Matsuyama, Japan's top PGA-ranked pro and the world No. 18, said in early July that his insect bite allergies and worries about Zika meant he was withdrawing from the field.