The embrace has turned into a suffocating bear hug, one that could yet suck the life out of what had seemed a noble aspiration for those championing golf’s return to the Olympics. Is it a dead cause before it ever gets started?

You have to wonder.

If the desire to become the champion golfer of this 145th staging of the British Open has historical significance and considerable stature on its side, the truth is the build-up here on the Ayrshire coast has been largely overshadowed by fallout and recriminations about the sport’s return to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Rather than a complete focus on the pursuit of the old Claret Jug, players – notably Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth – have been distracted from the task at hand.

And, from McIlroy, there was yesterday a calculated rebuff to the notion that golf should be part of the Olympic family at all: “I’ll probably watch the Olympics, but I’m not sure golf will be one of the events I watch.”

What would he watch?

“Probably the events like track and field, swimming, diving, stuff that matters,” he responded.

So, golf – in the Olympics – doesn’t matter. Not as far as McIlroy is concerned.

McIlroy’s cool, calculated delivery of his words was like a dagger twisting into golf’s Olympic dream, perhaps a response to comments from former R&A chief Peter Dawson, a torch carrier for golf’s return to the Games and president of the International Golf Federation, who had talked on Monday of an “overreaction” to the threat of the Zika virus by some players.

McIlroy never once mentioned the Zika mosquito, rather offering the viewpoint that it was never part of his brief to “grow the game” which has become a mantra of those most supporting its return.

As McIlroy put it yesterday, “I don’t feel like I’ve let the game down at all. I didn’t get into golf to try and grow the game. I got into golf to win championships and win Major championships, and all of a sudden you get to a position where there is a responsibility on you to grow the game, and I get that. But at the same time, that’s not the reason I got into golf. I got into golf to win. I didn’t get into golf to get other people into the game.”

It is worth drifting back a couple of years, back to Fota Island outside Cork in the summer of 2014 when McIlroy – pre-Zika – wrapped the green flag around him in declaring that he would represent Ireland in the Rio Olympics.

The decision to actually represent Ireland was only taken after a period of reflection. Yet, in hindsight, the more significant words issued by McIlroy on that occasion – June 18th, 2014 – had more to do with golf in the Olympics.

On that day McIlroy was asked where an Olympic medal would rate in his achievements.  “Still not as big as a Major championship, but it’s up there. The Majors in our sport are the biggest and best prizes in the game. But as hopefully golf grows in the Olympics and becomes, maybe give it four or five Games down the line, it might become [more significant].

“It’s a tough one, because you never know how it’s going to evolve . . . . but, for me, the four Major championships are the biggest prizes in our game, and maybe the Olympics will be able to get up to that level. With the first one now, it’s not quite up there, but it would still be a huge achievement.”

Let’s be clear, golf is an utterly selfish sport. McIlroy – at least – is clear and unambiguous in outlining that, for him, it is about winning the Major championships and there is a brutal honesty in his assertion that the Olympics and golf don’t go together . . . . for him!

“Golf’s in the Olympics in Tokyo in four years time and if I really feel the need to get that Olympic experience hopefully I can go there and do that. But I have no regrets. I’ve made it pretty clear about my stance on the Olympics and golf. I play for other things.

“Golf in the Olympics is great for golf, great to grow the game, there’s no question about that. I think you’ve seen with the amount of top professionals who have decided not to go this time where it stands in our minds and maybe it would have best served with amateurs going to play. Who knows?

“As a collective group of professionals, we weren’t approached or asked if it was what we wanted. I have made my stance pretty clear and I don’t regret my decision at all and I actually feel like I have more peace of mind in not going. I will stand by it. I am sure people who have been training for four years to try and win an Olympic gold will give it their all and good luck to them, because it is a huge deal in their lives and their careers. . .”

From Spieth’s perspective, though, there was a commitment to try and make it to Tokyo in 2020.

“Weighing risks and health concerns, I made it this route,” the American said of his decision not to travel to Rio, but he expanded: “I recognise what Olympic golf would bring, and that’s why I’m setting it as a very, very major goal to make the team in 2020.”

It’s odd and strange and all a bit bizarre that so much time so far this week has been consumed by talk about the Olympics, especially in a week when the oldest Major championship of them all is on the line.

Perhaps, it’s because it does actually matter; perhaps, in the future, McIlroy – and others – will look back on bypassing Rio as a lost opportunity.