Rory McIlroy on the Olympics: “The best players aren’t all here”

It’s been quite the start to the week for Rory McIlroy.

To the bemusement of fans in St Andrews, the 35-year-old jumped onto the Old Course on Monday to warm up his game ahead of the Olympics.

McIlroy wasted no time after arriving in Paris, heading straight to Le Golf National on Tuesday morning for a practice round with Shane Lowry.

The men’s 72-hole stroke play tournament kicks off on Thursday and the Northern Irishman says it would ‘mean a lot’ to add a gold medal to his collection.

But McIlroy is having a hard time labelling it a ‘prestigious’ event, as some of the best players in the world won’t compete this week.

When asked by BBC Sport NI whether the Olympics will become like a major, he said: “It’s hard to say.”

“Even this week, the way the qualification system works, not all the best players in the world are here.

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“You’d like to think that if you’re going to win something really prestigious in the sport then you want all the best players playing and that isn’t quite happening here.

“It’s still very meaningful and if I were to win a medal, especially a gold medal, it would mean a lot to me.”

The world No.3 narrowly missed out on securing a bronze medal at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

McIlroy finished fourth in the individual event after losing in a seven-way play-off, as Xander Schauffele won gold.

It’s been quite the few years for the American, who lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Troon last month. McIlroy, meanwhile, failed to make the cut in south Ayrshire.

But as he arrives in France on the back of that bitter disappointment, McIlroy will be aiming to build on his winning experience at the 2018 Ryder Cup.

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“I was really close to winning a medal last time – I said I’d never tried as hard to finish third in my life,” he added.

“Once you’re in there and especially if you are in contention for a medal, you feel the buzz of it, and it’s really cool.

“I’ve obviously had a bit more time off than I wanted with not playing the weekend at The Open but I’m excited to be here and at a golf course where I’ve got a lot of fond memories from the Ryder Cup a few years ago.

“And it’s good to get back to playing in conditions that are a little bit more familiar. Obviously, Troon was really, really difficult but to be out here in the sunshine without a lot of wind feels really nice.”

One key difference for the four-time major champ will be teeing it up in the three stripes of Adidas, despite being a Nike athlete.

Obviously knew it was coming but it's still a little jarring to see Nike athlete Rory McIlroy rocking Adidas. The power of the Olympics! pic.twitter.com/PTwV7FeAd4

— Michael McEwan (@MMcEwanGolf) July 30, 2024

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.