Justin Rose and Danny Willett are among the four golfers selected to represent Team GB at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Catriona Matthew and Charley Hull will play for Great Britain in the women's event, which runs from August 17 to 20.

Golf's return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904 has caused some controversy, with numerous high-profile stars, including Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, pulling out of the event.

The main reason for the withdrawals has been fears over the Zika virus in Brazil, and yesterday McIlroy suggested that golf is not an important Olympic event.

Nevertheless, Masters champion Willet and world number 11 Rose, who is a former US Open winner, are keen to win a medal in Rio.

Willett said: "It will be a huge honour to represent Team GB at the Olympics. I'm very proud but it's also going to be great fun. It's the first time golf has been in since 1904 and it will be such a different experience.

"It comes at a busy point in our year so I'm hoping to be playing well going into it. I'll certainly prepare as well as I possibly can and we'll go from there. I've seen pictures of the course and it's looking good. I'm really looking forward to it."

Twenty-year-old Hull heads into the women's event as the youngest member of the team, with three years experience and a European Tour victory to her name.

Matthew - a former Women's British Open and LET Player of the Year winner - is no stranger to victory having won four LPGA Tour titles and six on the Ladies European Tour.

"I'm delighted to have made the GB Olympic team and cannot wait to go to Rio," said Matthew. "Ever since golf made it into the Olympics it's been an aim of mine to make the team, and I'm both happy and relieved that I've been included. I've heard that the course is fantastic and so I'm excited to get down there and represent my country alongside Charley, Danny and Justin."

The men's event will run from August 11 to 14.