"Where do my loyalties lie?" - When Rory McIlroy admitted to 'resent' the Olympics for sparking debate over his international allegiance

Rory McIlroy once admitted to feeling "resentment" about having to decide which country he would represent at the Olympics. Golf returned to the Olympics in 2016 for the first time since 1904.

Although eligible to compete, McIlroy did not participate in the 2016 Olympics due to concerns over the Zika virus. Born in County Down, he was eligible to compete for both Great Britain and Ireland, which sparked much speculation about which country the Northern Irish golfer would choose.

Reflecting on the ensuing decision and the questions in his mind, McIlroy had expressed his feelings in an interview with the Sunday Independent. He shared that after the International Olympic Committee announced golf's inclusion in the prestigious Games, he was left feeling confused. McIlroy shared his thoughts on the matter, saying (via ESPN):

"All of a sudden it put me in a position where I had to question who I am. Who am I? Where am I from? Where do my loyalties lie? Who am I going to play for? Who do I not want to [upset] the most? I started to resent it. And I do. I resent the Olympic Games because of the position it put me in. That's my feelings toward it. And whether that's right or wrong, that's how I feel."

Although he did not compete in the 2016 Olympics, McIlroy made his Olympic debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo. He represented Ireland but narrowly missed out on winning a bronze medal, tying for fourth place with Mito Pereira, Collin Morikawa, Paul Casey, Hideki Matsuyama, and Juan Sebastian Munoz Amaya. Xander Schauffele won the gold medal, Rory Sabbatini took silver, and C.T. Pan clinched the bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.

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When Rory McIlroy confessed to not knowing the lyrics of Ireland's national anthem

In 2016, Justin Rose represented Great Britain and won the gold medal in golf. McIlroy congratulated Rose on his incredible win and made an interesting confession, saying that had he won the medal, he would have felt "uncomfortable" because he did not know the lyrics to either the British or Irish national anthems.

In the same interview with Sunday Independent, McIlroy said (as quoted by ESPN):

"I said, 'Justin (Rose), if I had been on the podium [listening] to the Irish national anthem as that flag went up, or the British national anthem as that flag went up, I would have felt uncomfortable either way. I don't know the words to either anthem. I don't feel a connection to either flag. I don't want it to be about flags. I've tried to stay away from that."

McIlroy is gearing up to represent Ireland at this year's Paris Olympics. Ahead of the event, he competed in The Open Championship, the year's final Major, but missed the cut.