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Under overcast skies and in calm conditions ideal for
scoring, Da Silva was welcomed to the first tee by a smattering
of applause and the whirl from hundreds of cameras as media and
officials greatly outnumbered fans sprinkled through a small
nearly empty stand.
Da Silva was followed by Canada's Graham DeLaet, whose
countryman George Lyon won the last Olympic golf tournament in
1904, with South Korean An Byeong-hun completing the threesome.
The tournament lost much of its prestige after the world's four
top-ranked players, Australian Jason Day, Americans Dustin
Johnson and Jordan Spieth and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy,
opted not to take part, citing concerns over the Zika virus.
Four rounds over four days on the newly-constructed course on
the Marapendi Nature Reserve will decide the medals with 60
players in the men's competition and the same number in the
women's event which will follow next week.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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