Olympics-Ireland's McDowell says will not play at Rio Games

LONDON, June 23 (Reuters) - Graeme McDowell became the latest golfer to pull out of the Rio Olympics on Thursday, following hot on the heels of Rory McIlroy's decision to miss the tournament in August. The Irish former U.S. Open champion issued a statement saying his wife was due to give birth a couple of weeks after the Games. McIlroy withdrew because of fears over the Zika virus which can cause birth defects. "I woke yesterday morning to the news that Rory McIlroy had withdrawn from the Irish Olympic Golf team, putting me in line for an automatic spot on the team," McDowell said in a statement. "As many within golf will know my wife Kristin is pregnant and is due to have our second child just a couple of weeks after the Olympic Golf competition concludes. "I made the decision many months ago, before I was on the team, that I would not play or travel outside the U.S., where I and my family live, in the weeks running up to the birth." (Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Alan Baldwin)