5-ring circus: Olympics golf returns
Top players have embraced inclusion in Games after initially shunning it
Rory McIlroy got over his Olympics skepticism in Tokyo Games (Liu Dawei/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy was among those who originally was an Olympics golf naysayer. He correctly noted that the game already has its biggest prizes in the four major championships. And that it is not a four-year quest such as that of other Olympics athletes for whom the Games are the pinnacle.
However, playing in Tokyo three years ago gave him a different outlook. He saw how big of a deal it was even amid all the COVID restrictions. He admitted he was wrong in his original assessment, at least in terms of the golf competition being meaningful.
“I never tried so hard in my life to finish third,” McIlroy said then after not surviving a seven-man playoff for the bronze medal. “It makes me even more determined going to Paris and trying to pick up one up. It’s disappointing going away from here without any hardware.”
McIlroy shot 67 in the final round to finish two shots back of Xander Schauffele and one behind Rory Sabbatini, the surprise silver medal winner who was representing Slovakia. McIlroy was in a seven-way tie for third that took a four-hole playoff to decide. He was eliminated on the third extra hole and C.T. Pan of Taiwan won the bronze.
During its first foray into the modern Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016, golf saw a pushback from many of its top players. The Zika virus — remember that? — was a convenient excuse for many qualified players to withdraw, but mostly there was indifference.
You think Jordan Spieth wouldn’t love another crack at the Olympics now? He was No. 2 in the world at the time to Jason Day, who also opted out but has found his way back into this year’s tournament. Dustin Johnson, who was No. 3 in the world, also skipped. So did McIlroy, who was ranked fourth.
“I made some comments before that were probably uneducated an impulsive, but coming here and experiencing it — seeing, feeling everything that goes on not just Olympic golf but just the Olympics in general — that sort of Olympic spirit’s definitely bitten me,” McIlroy said in Tokyo. “I’m excited how this week’s turned out and excited for the future.”
McIlroy will represent Ireland along with Shane Lowry, who took part as Ireland’s flagbearer in the opening ceremonies on Friday.
Shane Lowry carried the Irish flag in Opening Ceremony on the Seine (Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Schauffele, the reigning Open and PGA champion, will be back to defend his gold medal after capturing winning at Royal Troon over Justin Rose, who won gold in Rio back in 2016 and has forever since lauded the experience.
“The reaction after the event felt five to 10 times bigger than when I won the U.S. Open in terms of the support and recognition from the crowd,” said Rose, who won the 2013 U.S. Open but won’t be in the Olympics for England this time. “It validates you as a sportsman and an athlete. Forever more now, I’ll be an Olympic gold athlete, which puts you in a wider group of people. It doesn’t just place you in terms of a golfing audience, it places you in a much wider audience. From that point of view, it’s been such a huge honor and achievement.”