Why Does Rory McIlroy Represent Ireland In The Olympics?

The men’s Major Championship season may be over for another year, but there is still plenty to be decided in 2024, including who goes home from the Paris Olympics with a gold medal.

Rory McIlroy came agonisingly close to ending his 10-year wait for one of the game’s biggest titles at the US Open in June, only to miss two short putts in the closing stages to lose out to Bryson DeChambeau.

However, the man from Holywood, a coastal village five miles outside of Belfast, has the opportunity to end the summer on a high by getting his hands on a gold medal.

The 35-year-old is one of 60 golfers from 32 countries participating in the men’s Olympic golf competition that takes place from August 1-4 at Le Golf National’s Albatros Course, site of the 2018 Ryder Cup.

McIlroy is gearing up for his second Olympic Games appearance, having also represented Ireland in Tokyo three years ago.

In 2021, the four-time Major winner narrowly missed out on a bronze medal after the contest went to a seven-man playoff for third place.

A perennial cause for debate ahead of Toyko was the decision of the County Down-born golfer to represent the Emerald Isle rather than Great Britain.

Athletes from Northern Ireland are eligible to represent both Ireland and Team GB, and McIlroy has previously explained why he opted for the former.

“Once I left trying not to upset anyone aside, then it was actually a pretty easy decision,” he told the Mirror. 

“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.”

The former World No.1, who missed the cut at The Open in July, admitted coming to a decision wasn’t like holing an easy putt.

In fact, he acknowledged, “I made it more difficult for myself than I needed to.”

“Even though the Olympics has given me this choice,” McIlroy explained, “there really wasn’t a choice because all I’ve done throughout my life is play golf for Ireland so why would that change just because the tournament has changed. 

“That was my decision.”

The Golfing Union or Ireland governs the sport in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, so McIlroy has always represented Ireland throughout his junior and amateur days. It's a similar scenario in rugby, too, where the entire island has just one team instead of separate Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland sides.