Louis Oosthuizen joins list of players turning their backs on Olympics

Golf fought hard to be reinstated as an Olympic sport, but not all pro golfers are thrilled with the idea.

The problem is timing. The 2016 Summer Games -- entailing greater travel and distraction -- closely follow the British Open and PGA Championship, with the FedEx Cup playoffs beginning soon after.

On Thursday, scheduling issues prompted Louis Oosthuizen to join a small but growing number of marquee players who have opted out of competing in Rio de Janeiro.

“I have always represented South Africa with pride so didn’t make my decision without a great deal of thought,” Oosthuizen said in a statement released through his management company. “I would like to wish our golfers and all other athletes competing in Brazil all the very best for success.”

The previous withdrawals of Adam Scott and Vijay Singh pointed to another issue -- for some golfers, it seems a gold medal just doesn’t compare to winning a major championship or collecting an $11-million playoff check.

Golf was last played at the Olympics during the 1904 St. Louis Games.