Rory McIlroy’s unexpected Olympics golf confession speaks volumes
After narrowly missing out on the podium in Tokyo, Rory McIlroy is now in contention to medal at the Paris Olympics, thoroughly enjoying the experience. With three rounds of Olympic golf completed, Spain’s Jon Rahm and Team USA’s Xander Schauffele, both having won the PGA Championship and the Open Championship, are vying for the gold…
After narrowly missing out on the podium in Tokyo, Rory McIlroy is now in contention to medal at the Paris Olympics, thoroughly enjoying the experience. With three rounds of Olympic golf completed, Spain’s Jon Rahm and Team USA’s Xander Schauffele, both having won the PGA Championship and the Open Championship, are vying for the gold medal at 14-under. Team GB’s Tommy Fleetwood is just one shot back, while McIlroy trails the leaders by four shots.
McIlroy shot an impressive 66 to climb the leaderboard, positioning himself well with 18 holes remaining. Responding to Jason Day’s comment that the Olympic golf event feels like a major, McIlroy suggested it was more light-hearted. “It’s hard,” he said. “You don’t get this atmosphere at the Masters. It’s different. I think it’s a little more fun than a major. Sort of like a celebration in a way. But yeah, it has the feel of a big-time event for sure. Maybe the crowd is a little more enthusiastic.”
The four-time major champion expressed surprise at the number of spectators. “I think the one thing that we’ve been taken aback by is just how many people are out there. I think that was the thing that I’ve been surprised by. Actually, my first one was Tokyo. Especially the contrast of having no one here on the practice days, and then getting here and having 20,000 people, it’s really cool. I think that’s been the big talking point, just how great the support has been for us out here.”
Reflecting on his experience, McIlroy added, “I think I was in a certain mindset going into Tokyo and I left with a different mindset, just like I’ve done a lot of times in my career because I’m ignorant and naïve and don’t give things much thought. But once you experience things, you start to see what the hype is about.”
After a strong third round where he minimized mistakes, the 35-year-old McIlroy is excited for the final day of action at Le Golf National. Having finished tied for fourth in Tokyo 2020, he is eager to secure his first Olympic medal. “It’s amazing for the game to see all those sorts of players up there,” McIlroy said. “Obviously Xander who has had an incredible year; Scottie [Scheffler], best player in the world; you’ve got Jon Rahm, some younger players; Nicolai [Hojgaard] shooting 62 today. Yeah, it’s an amazing leaderboard and should be an exciting day tomorrow.”