Rory McIlroy: “Holy s—, what just happened?

Rory McIlroy shared his thoughts on the Olympics after narrowly missing a medal at Le Golf National in Paris. McIlroy was aiming for a gold medal in the men’s Olympic golf competition but encountered a critical error on the 15th hole.

Starting the final round with a challenging position, McIlroy began strong with a birdie on the first hole and another on the par-5 third. After six consecutive pars, he seemed out of contention until a stunning series of five birdies on the back nine revived his chances.

However, disaster struck at the par-4 16th. McIlroy, aiming for a front pin with water nearby, fell short by a few feet. “I didn’t feel like I had a chance,” McIlroy said. “Then I looked at the board again after I birdied 14 and I was one behind and I was like, holy s—, what just happened.” He explained, “I hit the shot I wanted to hit but didn’t get the ball in the air enough for the wind to carry it the extra three or four yards I needed. Tried to stay aggressive and land a wedge between the front edge and the hole. Missed my spot by nearly three or four yards and that ended up costing me a medal.”

McIlroy had skipped the 2016 Rio Olympics due to concerns over the Zika virus and initially showed little enthusiasm for the Games. After making his debut in Tokyo in 2020, where he notably aimed for a bronze medal, he expressed a newfound appreciation for the Olympics. This year’s competition, he said, was on another level.

Reflecting on the week, McIlroy described it as “amazing.” He recounted conversations with fellow golfer Nico Hojgaard, who called it the best tournament he had ever played in, even comparing it to the Ryder Cup. McIlroy acknowledged the Ryder Cup as the pinnacle of golf tournaments due to its pure competition, but he believes the Olympics has the potential to rival it. Highlighting the current disarray in professional golf, he emphasized the significance of tournaments like the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, where players compete for pride rather than money.

McIlroy praised the atmosphere and support, particularly for home favorite Victor Perez, who shot an impressive final round of 63 but just missed a medal. “We don’t get that any other place that we play, maybe apart from The Ryder Cup,” McIlroy said. He appreciated the unique environment and believed everyone enjoyed the experience.

Acknowledging his recent near-misses, McIlroy admitted to being golf’s ‘nearly man’ for the past few years, having not won a major since the 2014 PGA Championship. Despite close calls in 2024, including a tie for 22nd at The Masters, tied for 12th at the US PGA, and missing the cut at The Open, McIlroy remains determined to break his major drought. “I obviously want that tide to turn and go from the nearly man to back to winning golf tournaments,” he said. “Once I actually step through the threshold and turn these near misses and close calls into wins, that’s what I need to do.”