COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Golf's return to the Olympics after 112 years will have seven Americans, the most of any country for men and women.
It just won't have their top two men.
USA Golf nominated the players, who qualified through the world ranking last week. They require U.S. Olympic Committee approval.
U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson and two-time major champion Jordan Spieth withdrew, Johnson because of the Zika virus threat and Spieth for overall health concerns.
The Americans have four men from the top 15 -- Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar. The women have three players from the top 15 -- Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller.
Countries can have two players to fill each 60-player field, and up to four if all are inside the top 15.
Villegas pulls out
Camilo Villegas of Colombia pulled out of the Olympics on Monday because he is trying to keep his job on the PGA Tour.
Villegas had indicated for the last two weeks that he wanted to be in Rio for golf's return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904. While he considered the Zika virus -- Villegas and his wife are trying to start a family -- his main concern was work.
Having pulled out the Barbasol Championship last week with a thumb injury, he is No. 146 in the FedEx Cup standings. Only the top 125 advance to the playoffs and keep full cards for the following season, and Villegas has only four tournaments left. He is playing the RBC Canadian Open this week.
Villegas would be replaced by Jose-Felipe Lima of Portugal, which now will have two players in the 60-man field.
The 21 players who have pulled out include the top four in the world -- Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. The Olympics at least will have two of the major champions from this year in Masters winner Danny Willett of England and British Open champion Henrik Stenson of Sweden.
Ebner makes cut
LAFAYETTE, Colo. -- USA rugby announced its men's and women's Olympic roster Monday in a list that includes New England Patriots special teams player Nate Ebner and veteran Jillion Potter, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago.
Potter, 30, found out she had Stage III synovial sarcoma in 2014.
Ebner was kept under contract by the Patriots while training with the rugby squad at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. He was a sixth-round pick by New England out of Ohio State in 2012.
Also making the men's roster are captain Madison Hughes and Carlin Isles, who's been called the "the fastest man in rugby" and briefly entertained notions of trying to make the American track team in the 100 meters.
Rugby sevens will make its Olympic debut at the Rio de Janeiro Games in August.
Omaha to host curling
OMAHA, Neb. -- Omaha has been chosen to host the U.S. Olympic curling trials before the 2018 winter games.
The Omaha Sports Commission said Monday that the curling trials will be held at the 7,800-seat Baxter Arena from Nov. 12 to Nov. 19 of 2017.
Omaha just finished hosting its third consecutive Olympic swimming trials last month.
USA Curling CEO Rick Patzke says he was impressed by the professionalism of Omaha's bid and the city's commitment to make the trials successful. Omaha hasn't hosted a major curling event before.
The 2013 curling trials were held in Fargo, N.D.
China sending 416
BEIJING -- China is sending 416 athletes to the Rio de Janeiro Games, including 35 former Olympic champions, state media reported Monday.
China's contingent includes 160 men and 256 women, who will compete in 210 events across 26 sports, the Xinhua News Agency said.
China's entire delegation -- including coaches and other staff -- will be its largest ever overseas at 711, Cai Zhenhua, deputy director of the General Administration of Sport, was quoted as saying. Among them will be 29 coaches hired from overseas.
Dressed in their formal uniforms of red jackets for men and yellow for women, members of the delegation were addressed at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing by leading Communist Party official Liu Yunshan, who urged them to display a "high level of sporting ethics."
China's youngest competitor is 14-year-old swimmer Ai Yanhan. Beijing 2008 Olympics shooting champion Chen Ying, 39, is the oldest and will be appearing at her fourth Olympics.
China topped the medal table in the 2008 Games and won the second largest number of medals at the 2012 London Olympics, including 38 golds.
Bekele left off
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- Kenenisa Bekele won't compete at next month's Olympics, perhaps the distance running great's last chance at the games, after he was left off Ethiopia's final team for failing to meet the country's qualifying criteria in both the marathon and the 10,000 meters.
Bekele, the world-record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000, had appealed his exclusion in the marathon but the Ethiopian Athletics Federation released its final list for the Rio de Janeiro Games over the weekend, confirming Bekele's absence.
Bekele was first denied a place in the marathon when the federation said he hadn't run enough big races over the last year to meet the selection criteria, which have been criticized by Bekele.
Bekele then made a late attempt to get on the team in the 10,000. He failed to finish the race at a trials event in Hengelo, Netherlands, last month.
Sports on 07/19/2016