Rickie Fowler went against the grain Sunday by confirming he will participate in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
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With nine of the top 30 golfers in the world rankings already pulled out of the competition, Fowler decided to join friend and American Ryder Cup teammate Bubba Watson in Brazil to help his country win gold.
Looking forward to wearing some red white and blue in Rio @olympics 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/8bpr5d9iL4
— Rickie Fowler (@RickieFowler) July 10, 2016
Fellow American Dustin Johnson withdrew his name from the team Friday, citing the Zika virus as a concern for his family.
If no one else pulls out of the competition, Watson and Fowler would be joined by Jordan Spieth — he is still mulling his options — and Patrick Reed, Johnson's replacement who is ranked ahead of Matt Kuchar and Brooks Koepka.
Koepka recently withdrew from the British Open with an ankle injury, so he seems an unlikely replacement should anyone above him withdraw.
Regardless, with Fowler and Watson on board, the U.S. will have a great chance to slip on a gold medal in August.