The men’s Major Championship season has wrapped up for the year, but 2024 still holds exciting events, including the Olympics in Paris.
Rory McIlroy almost ended his decade-long wait for a major title at the US Open in June. However, he missed two short putts near the end and lost to Bryson DeChambeau.
Now, McIlroy has another chance to shine by aiming for an Olympic gold medal this summer.
Olympic Hopes:
This 35-year-old golfer is one of 60 players from 32 countries competing at Le Golf National’s Albatros Course from August 1-4. This course also hosted the Ryder Cup in 2018. Fans are eager to see how he performs on such a familiar ground.
McIlroy is preparing for his second Olympics after representing Ireland in Tokyo three years ago. In that event, he narrowly missed out on a bronze medal after a seven-man playoff.
Before Tokyo, there was much debate about McIlroy’s choice to represent Ireland instead of Great Britain. Athletes from Northern Ireland can choose either team, and McIlroy explained his decision clearly: “Once I left trying not to upset anyone aside, then it was actually a pretty easy decision.”
He added that he’s always played golf for Ireland since his junior days: “The decision was I’m going to play golf for the country or the nation that I’ve always played for through my junior and amateur days and now into the professional game. And that’s Ireland.”
Although making this choice wasn’t as simple as sinking an easy putt, he admitted it was ultimately straightforward: “I made it more difficult for myself than I needed to.” He emphasized that despite having options due to Olympic rules, playing for Ireland felt natural because that’s what he’s always done.
The Golfing Union of Ireland oversees golf across both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. So throughout his career—junior or professional—McIlroy has represented just one team: Ireland. This setup mirrors rugby where there’s only one team representing all of Ireland instead of separate teams for each part.
What do you think about Rory’s chances at winning an Olympic medal?
