Rory McIlroy Gives Amazing Description Of Olympic Golf Despite Paris Heartbreak
Rory McIlroy was in contention for an Olympic medal in Paris this afternoon, but a costly mistake towards the end of his round dashed his hopes of a bronze play-off. The 35-year-old entered the final round knowing he needed an exceptional performance to reach the podium, and he delivered at Le Golf National. McIlroy was…
Rory McIlroy was in contention for an Olympic medal in Paris this afternoon, but a costly mistake towards the end of his round dashed his hopes of a bronze play-off.
The 35-year-old entered the final round knowing he needed an exceptional performance to reach the podium, and he delivered at Le Golf National. McIlroy was in stellar form, especially during his final nine holes. He made a series of five consecutive birdies from the tenth hole onwards, at one point tying for third and just one shot off the lead.
However, disaster struck on the par-four 15th hole. After a superb drive left him with a short wedge shot to the green, McIlroy found the water in front of the green. This led to a difficult chip from the drop zone, resulting in a double bogey. Although he parred the remaining three holes, the damage was done. McIlroy finished in a tie for fifth, two shots away from the bronze medal.
Despite the disappointing end, McIlroy reflected positively on his Olympic experience. Speaking to RTÉ, he described what went wrong on the 15th hole and summed up his time in Paris.
“I didn’t think I had a chance at gold, then everything started to happen pretty quickly,” McIlroy said. “I played well on the way in. That wedge shot on 15, I hit the shot I wanted but didn’t get it up in the air enough for the wind to carry it onto the green.
“It was an incredible week, and I gave it my best today. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. I knew I was just one shot back at that point. Even over the shot on 15, I wanted to stay aggressive. It would have been easy to hit it long and get a four, but I aimed for another birdie to make the most of the round. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”
McIlroy also highlighted the positive atmosphere at the Paris Olympics compared to Tokyo, noting the impact of COVID-19 on the previous Games. He felt the excitement within the Irish camp and the golfing event’s significance in the Olympics.
When asked about his Olympic experience, McIlroy mentioned it as one of the few parts of professional golf unaffected by the current turmoil in the sport.
The Irish team still has chances for medals, and McIlroy expressed his excitement to support his teammates in their quests.