Rory McIlroy cruelly denied amazing Olympics history at Le Golf National

Rory McIlroy was tantalizingly close to a historic moment during his second round at the Olympic tournament at Le Golf National. Representing Team Ireland alongside Shane Lowry in Paris, the four-time major champion narrowly missed an albatross.

McIlroy started strong, continuing his impressive performance from the first day. On Friday, he nailed an eagle at the third hole after opening with two pars. The highlight of his round came when his second shot from the fairway slam-dunked into the cup but bounced out, settling just two feet away from an albatross.

Despite the near-miss, McIlroy finished two-under-par in his second round, bringing him to five-under overall as he headed into the weekend. He trails the joint leaders—Xander Schauffele (USA), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), and Tommy Fleetwood (Team GB)—by six shots.

This is McIlroy’s second Olympic appearance, following Tokyo. He has previously expressed skepticism about golf’s place in the Games, noting that he never dreamed of competing in the Olympics or winning a medal. Golf only returned to the Olympics six years ago after a century-long absence. In 2016, amid the Zika scare in Brazil, McIlroy, along with several top players, opted out of the Rio Games.

However, McIlroy’s perspective has evolved. After a ten-year wait for another major title, he now views winning an Olympic medal as a significant milestone. “It would be the achievement, certainly of the year,” he said. “It would probably be one of the biggest in my career for the last ten years.”

Buoyed by his impressive three-under-par 68 at Le Golf National, McIlroy was astonished by the enthusiastic support from the 25,000 fans present, especially considering the numerous attractions in Paris. Reflecting on the spectators’ enthusiasm, the world No. 3 said, “[The crowd was] unbelievable. With so many events going on across the city, for people to venture out here and watch us play, it was a really cool atmosphere to play in.

“I was not expecting this. I thought the weekend might draw a few more people. I thought the first couple of days might be quieter, but it was awesome. Tokyo was a ghost town due to COVID-19 restrictions. This was much better. The crowd support we all got was amazing. There was a bit more nationalism, but we were all really well supported out there. It was great to see.”