Rory McIlroy’s Fiery Moment in Paris: Commentators Forced to Apologize
Rory McIlroy began his Olympic campaign strongly, finishing with a three-under-par 68 at Le Golf National in Paris. However, his first round included a moment of frustration that led to an apology from the commentators.
On the par-four 17th tee, McIlroy’s shot veered right into the rough, narrowly missing a camera operator. His immediate reaction appeared to involve a four-letter expletive, which, although not entirely clear, was picked up by the Discovery broadcast team. The commentators quickly apologized, with one noting McIlroy’s “colourful language” and another saying, “Apologies for anything that came through the mic.”
This incident comes after a difficult period for McIlroy, who is looking for a boost in Paris following a tough few months. He had a disappointing performance at the Open at Troon, recording rounds of 78 and 75 to finish 11 over par, just weeks after a late collapse at the US Open. McIlroy, who last won a major title a decade ago, emphasized the significance of potentially winning an Olympic gold medal.
Reflecting on what a gold medal would mean, McIlroy said: “It’s well documented that I haven’t won one of the big four in 10 years. It would probably be one of, if not the biggest [win] in my career for the last 10 years. The last time you guys [the media] saw me, I didn’t give a very good account of myself at Troon. I want to make sure I’m right where I need to be teeing off on Thursday.”
He continued, “I’ve been asked a lot where an Olympic medal would sit in the hierarchy of my career achievements. It’s something I probably won’t be able to answer until everything is said and done. I don’t know if anything will be able to sit alongside the majors. We have our four events a year that are the gold standard. But I think this is going to be, in time, right up there amongst that.”
The Olympic golf competition features many of the world’s top players. Representing Team GB are Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick, while McIlroy is joined by Shane Lowry for Team Ireland. The stacked field also includes world number one Scottie Scheffler (US