McIlroy may skip Rio Games over question of country affiliation,
To avoid conflict, bowing out is option instead of making choice of country
Rory McIlroy has raised the possibility of not competing at the 2016 Olympic Games, to avoid creating conflict over which country he decides to represent.
The Northern Irishman and world No. 1 faces a difficult choice over whether to play for Great Britain or Ireland when golf returns to the Olympics in Rio, and he disclosed for the first time that he might skip the tournament altogether.
Mindful of the acute political sensitivities around his decision, McIlroy admitted he was enduring an uncomfortable battle of conscience. “I just think, being from where we’re from, we’re placed in a very difficult position,” he said in Wednesday’s BBC One documentary Rory — Being No. 1. “There are sportspersons before me who have been put in that position. If I could and there was a Northern Irish team, then I’d play for Northern Ireland. I feel Northern Irish, and obviously you have a connection to Ireland and to the U.K.
“It’s a tough one, whatever decision I make — whether it’s play for Ireland, play for Britain or not play at all, maybe, just because I don’t want to upset too many people. It’s definitely an option. I either play for one side or the other or I don’t play. Those are the three options that I have and I’m still considering them very carefully.”
McIlroy has twice represented Ireland at the World Cup, but has since suggested a desire to switch allegiance for the Olympics in Brazil in three years’ time. Complicating any such move is the fact that golf has traditionally been an all-Ireland sport, and that the 23 year-old received much support in his early career from the Golfing Union of Ireland.
When he argued last year that he felt “more British than Irish,” his remarks stoked intense controversy in the Republic, with RTE presenter Pat Kenny branding them “a stupid thing to say.” McIlroy was subsequently forced to issue a letter of clarification, which stated: “I am a proud product of Irish golf. I am also a proud Ulsterman who grew up in Northern Ireland.”
Asked during a program if he regretted that statement, McIlroy said: “It was a moment, I don’t want to say of weakness, but of frustration with it all. People tune in to watch me play on TV and feel like they are connected to me in some way. I don’t want to repay them for their support by doing something that they wouldn’t want me to do. When I do make a decision, it’s going to be one that I’ve thought long and hard about, and one I feel comfortable with.”