Rory McIlroy shares reason for competing in Olympics

Rory McIlroy says patriotism is not a driving factor in him competing for Ireland in the Olympics. So what is his reason for competing in Japan?

The 32-year-old says he wants to represent the sport as a whole.

“I’m not a very patriotic guy; I’m doing it because I think it is the right thing to do,” McIlroy said Sunday.

“I missed it last time [in Rio]. And for golf to be an Olympic sport, you need your best players there, and I feel I want to represent the game of golf more than anything else.”

McIlroy was asked what he is looking forward to at the Olympics. The golfer said that given the restrictions due to COVID-19, there isn’t as much to look forward to as there would be in typical Olympics. However, this will give him a chance to work on his game more.

McIlroy has won four majors and achieved a No. 1 world ranking during his career. Adding a gold medal to his list of achievements would be nice for his career resume.