Rory McIlroy, Seeking Olympic Redemption, Arrives in Paris via St. Andrews

The world No. 3 said a gold medal could be his biggest achievement in the last 10 years.

Rory McIlroy, pictured during a practice round at this year's British Open, missed out on a medal in a playoff at the last Olympics. / Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports

SAINT QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France — Video and social media posts surfaced Monday of Rory McIlroy getting in a round of golf ... at the Old Course?

Yep, McIlroy was at the Home of Golf in St. Andrews, Scotland, playing the storied links where he painfully lost the 2022 British Open as Cam Smith blew by him with a final-round 64 to snag the Claret Jug, one of a handful of painful brushes with a major title over the past decade.

Rory McIlroy is preparing for @OlympicGolf in Paris with a round on The Old Course at St Andrews this afternoon.

Here he is hitting his tee shot on the 12th hole. pic.twitter.com/7WBbwRYPBR

— Kieran Clark (@KieranClarkGolf) July 29, 2024

McIlroy seemed a bit put off by a question about it, fair as it was given that it seemed an odd place to be prior to this week’s Olympic Golf Tournament on a course that is in no way, shape or form like St. Andrews.

“Yeah, none of your business why I was there but it’s always nice to play St. Andrews,” McIlroy said Tuesday during a media gathering along with fellow Irish representative Shane Lowry at Le Golf National, site of this week’s tournament.

“It was good. I wasn’t expecting quite the crowd on the last few holes that we got but yeah, it was good. That was the first game of golf I've had since Troon. I thought at least one game of golf before I got here was probably beneficial.”

MORE: Tee times for the first two rounds at Le Golf National

McIlroy was referencing the Open won by Xander Schauffele two weeks ago at Royal Troon, where he missed the cut and played poorly in doing so. That came after a tie for fourth at the Scottish Open, which followed a tough-luck loss to Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open.

The Olympics offers an opportunity to earn a prize he once believed was not worth pursuing. In 2016, McIlroy skipped the Games despite being eligible.

“I'd say my focus is pretty high,” said McIlroy, 35, who is ranked third in the Official World Golf Ranking. “The last time you guys saw me, I didn't give a very good account of myself at Troon. I want to make sure I'm right where I need to be teeing off on Thursday.

“Again, I've been asked this question a lot, where would an Olympic medal sit in sort of the hierarchy of my career achievements and it's something I probably won't be able to answer until when everything is said and done.

“I think as golf is in the Olympics for a longer period of time, it will become ... I don't know if anything will be able to sit alongside the majors. We have our four events a year that are the gold standard. But I think this is going to be, in time, right up there amongst that.”

And as it relates to him specifically, McIlroy said: “It would be the achievement, certainly of the year ... for me, it's well documented that I haven't won one of the big four in 10 years. It would probably be one if, if not the biggest in my career for the last 10 years.”

Lowry has his own disappointment to overcome. He was the 36-hole leader at Royal Troon and struggled in the worst of the conditions on Saturday, shooting 6-over-par 77 and eventually finishing sixth.

The winner of the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush, Lowry—who won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans earlier this year with McIlroy as his partner—sees a chance to atone.

“I felt I had a good chance to win the Open a couple weeks ago and I was really disappointed to not give it a better go on Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “Straightaway after that, I sort of felt like I have a chance to redeem myself here in a couple of weeks.

“For me, look, if you look at the media and what it was like back home yesterday when Mona (McSharry) won that bronze medal, I think if I was to win a gold medal and bring it back to Ireland, yeah, it would be pretty cool.”

Lowry has already had a life-altering experience at the Olympics, taking part in the opening ceremony in which he was the Irish flag bearer.

“It was amazing,” Lowry said. “It was an amazing experience and something that I'll remember forever. It was a big honor and when I got there and got to experience the whole thing ... memories for a lifetime and just even being there and being around the other athletes, it was pretty cool.

“To see the Olympics from there, it's something that when I was growing up, you never—as a golfer, you didn't really think was going to be achievable. So yeah, it was an amazing experience.”

McIlroy finished tied for third at the 2021 Olympics in Japan and lost in a seven-way playoff for the bronze medal. Lowry was tied for 22nd in Tokyo.