Rory McIlroy tells journalist ‘it’s none of your business’ at Olympics and mocks rivals

Rory McIlroy, currently ranked world No. 3, stirred up some controversy when he told a journalist to mind their own business in response to a question about his preparations for the 2024 Olympics at St Andrews. McIlroy is set to represent Ireland alongside Shane Lowry at Le Golf National this week. The decision to practice at St Andrews, a course quite different from the one he will face in Paris, raised some eyebrows.

When asked about the rationale behind his choice, McIlroy, 25, bluntly responded, “Yeah, none of your business why I was there, but it’s always nice to play St. Andrews.” He added that he enjoyed the experience despite unexpectedly large crowds on the final holes. “That was the first game of golf I’ve had since Troon. I thought at least one game of golf before I got here was probably beneficial.”

McIlroy’s performance at the Open at Royal Troon two weeks ago was disappointing, as he missed the cut with a subpar showing, while Xander Schauffele clinched his first major title. This compounded a frustrating period for McIlroy, which included a tie for fourth in the Scottish Open and a late collapse at the US Open, where Bryson DeChambeau emerged victorious.

McIlroy did not participate in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and narrowly missed a medal in Tokyo, finishing tied for third and losing a seven-way playoff for bronze. He acknowledges that winning at the Paris Games would be his most significant achievement in the past decade, given his struggle to secure another major title.

Despite the pressure to perform this summer, McIlroy took a playful jab at his American rivals, reminiscing about Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup triumph at Le Golf National. When asked if the rough was as thick as it was six years ago, McIlroy cheekily responded, “It’s pretty well – maybe not as…” with Lowry chiming in, “probably not as long.” McIlroy then quipped, “Ask the Americans. I wasn’t in it much that week,” eliciting laughter.

For the opening two rounds of the men’s golf tournament, McIlroy has been drawn against USA’s world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg.