RORY McIlroy is a four-time major winner and the current No. 3 golfer on the planet.
After his disappointing US Open collapse, Rory is back in action at Paris 2024 – here we see why he is representing Ireland rather than Team Great Britain.
Why does Rory McIlroy represent Ireland at the Olympics?
Rory McIlroy will compete in his second Olympics at Paris 2024 – he made his debut at Tokyo 2020.
The 35-year-old was born in Northern Ireland and can represent Team GB or Ireland.
He chose to represent Ireland in Paris, just as he did in Tokyo three years ago.
In Japan, Rory and teammate Shane Lowry finished outside the medals, placing fourth, but the pair are now aiming for a podium place.
Rory has opened up about his decision, saying he chose Ireland over Team GB because of the decision he made during his amateur career.
He played for Ireland before turning professional and says he sees no reason to switch to the Olympics.
Following an agreement between the Irish Olympic Federation and the British Olympic Association, athletes from Northern Ireland can choose the team they wish to represent.
Why did Rory McIlroy choose not to represent Team GB?
Rory kicks off his Paris 2024 campaign on Thursday 1st August, starting at around 9:11am BST.
In July 2024, he explained his decision to The Guardian: “I had a resentment towards the Olympics because I always tried to remain neutral and it presented me with the option of ‘What are you going to do?’
“I had to get over it. Throughout my amateur career I played for Ireland. I was very proud to play for Ireland. So why would I do anything different as a professional?
“Tokyo felt like a throwback to amateur times. All the federations were there. Seeing people from the amateur game that I hadn’t seen in decades.
“I really enjoyed the experience and I’m sure Paris will be even better because I’ll go to some of the other events.
“It’s a bit like the Ryder Cup, I made comments before trying it. I’m excited to go back.
In 2021, Rory also addressed the issue, saying, “I made things harder on myself than I needed to be.
There really was no choice because all I’ve done in my life is play golf for Ireland
Rory McIlroy
“My feeling about it was more ‘What are other people going to think?’
“Once I got it out of my head and tried to do what was right for me, it became easy. It was me struggling with all these things.
“As I said earlier, after I left trying not to bother anyone, it was actually a very easy decision.
“The decision was to play golf for the country or nation that I have always played in during my junior and amateur days and now in the professional game.
“Even though the Olympics gave me that choice, there really was no choice because all I’ve done all my life is play golf for Ireland, so why would that change just because the tournament changed? That was my decision.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
