Rory McIlroy has admitted that his previous criticism of golf at the Olympics was off the mark.
The four-time major winner was one of the critics of the inclusion of the sport at Rio 2016, when he said that he would only watch the sports "that matter" like track and field for example.
The 27-year-old was among the high-profile golfers who withdrew from the field in the build-up to the Olympics, citing health concerns regarding Zika.
But he has now admitted that he watched the final round in Brazil - which Rio 2016 champion Justin Rose had suggested was the case - and says that he is glad to have been "somewhat proven wrong" after watching the crowds and the atmosphere on the course.
"There was more people at the golf events than there was at the athletics. It was good to see," he said, before the PGA Tour play-off at The Barclays in New York.
"To see the crowds and see the turnout, I was glad to be somewhat proven wrong. It seems like it was a great atmosphere down there. I think it was one of the cheaper tickets as well, and I think that encouraged a lot of people to go. I thought golf was sort of going to get lost a little bit. It was away from the village; I thought it was going to just sort of blend in with everything else."
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