Why is Rory McIlroy representing Northern Ireland at the 2024 Paris Olympics? Explained

Rory McIlroy is representing Northern Ireland instead of Great Britain at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 35-year-old golfer, born in Holywood, County Down, opted against Team Great Britain to show his love for his home country. He did the same for Tokyo 2020 too.

According to McIlroy, his decision to represent Northern Ireland was based on his amateur player career. The four-time major winner once revealed that he decided to play golf for the country or the nation that he’d represented during his junior days and ‘that’s Ireland.’ However, the golfer hinted that he had to upset a few people with the decision.

The World No.3 golfer said that he made the decision ‘more difficult’ by thinking about not pleasing the Great Britain team after the Olympics asked him to pick a side.

Explaining the reasoning behind representing Ireland back in 2021, Rory McIlroy said, as quoted by the Mirror:

“As I said, previously, once I left trying not to upset anyone aside, then it was actually a pretty easy decision. The decision was I’m going to play golf for the country or the nation that I’ve always played for through my junior and amateur days and now into the professional game. And that’s Ireland…

I made it more difficult for myself than I needed to. Even though the Olympics has given me this choice, there really wasn’t a choice because all I’ve done throughout my life is play golf for Ireland so why would that change just because the tournament has changed. That was my decision.”

Rory McIlroy at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (Image via Imagn)

Notably, McIlroy had a strong outing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The golfer, a member of both the European and PGA tours, narrowly missed out on the bronze medal after losing a playoff as Xander Schauffele took the gold.

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Shane Lowry, not Rory McIlroy, carried Team Ireland’s flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Despite pledging his allegiance to his home nation, Rory McIlroy wasn’t part of the 2024 Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony. Notably, his compatriot Shane Lowry received the honor of carrying the nation’s flag. The country’s flag bearer finished 22nd in the Tokyo Olympics, 18 places off of McIlroy.

Shane Lowry, in a video shared by the Irish Olympic Federation, said:

“It's a huge honor for me and my family. Anybody that knows me knows how patriotic I am and how much I love Ireland and how much I love playing for my country. It's something that I'm not sure you'd even dream about as a kid, because it's so far out there.”

Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy, who teamed up to win the Zurich Classic in New Orleans earlier this year, will represent Team Ireland in the Olympic golf competition. The duo will tee off at Le Golf National near Paris on August 1 while co-PGA Tour stars Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood represent Great Britain.