A relaxed Rory McIlroy could not resist taking a cheeky dig at his American Ryder Cup rivals, after returning to Le Golf National for this week’s Olympic Games in Paris.
McIlroy is representing Team Ireland in France, and returns to a course he knows well in Le Golf National. The Parisian track played host to the 2018 Ryder Cup, where McIlroy helped guide Team Europe to victory over the United States in empathic fashion.
This time around his focus will be winning gold rather than the Ryder Cup prize, and even after missing the cut at The Open Championship this month, McIlroy looked as confident as ever in his pre-tournament press conference.
Quizzed on whether he felt the rough around the Paris course was as bad as it was at the Ryder Cup six years ago, McIlroy replied: “Ask the Americans. I wasn’t in it much that week.” Having earned a laugh from his fellow countryman Lowry, the four-time major winner eventually expanded on the course conditions.
“It’s a good setup. I think it would be similar to like a PGA setup. You know, it’s pretty big, fast greens, but pretty thick rough around the greens. I think if you miss fairways, it’s a little hit and miss. I got some pretty bad lies out there, and I know there were some lies that were okay but definitely lose a lot of control of your ball.
“The greens have got a little bit of bounce to them already, I would say. So I think it’s a good test.” McIlroy has previously played down the importance of the Olympics within the professional golf scene, withdrawing from competing at its first showing in over 100 years in 2016.
“I think I’ll be remembered for my major championships. So all I’ve dreamed of from a little kid is winning majors. I never dreamed of competing in the Olympics or winning an Olympic medal,” McIlroy claimed previously. “So in my mind, a major will always be more important.”
This opinion appears to have changed slightly, with McIlroy taking to the Olympic field in 2021 alongside Lowry at the Tokyo Games. Three years on it appears the Olympics mean more to McIlroy than ever, having claimed it would be his biggest achievement for some time having not won a major since 2014.
It would be the achievement, certainly of the year,” the former Open champion claimed. “If not — I think for me, it’s well documented that I haven’t won one of the Big Four in ten years. It would probably be one if, if not the biggest in my career for the last ten years.” McIlroy will kick his week off in Thursday’s opening round playing alongside Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg.
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