By Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy are set to represent Team Ireland in the men’s golf competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which begins on Thursday at Le Golf National. Lowry, who recently experienced disappointment at The Open, views the Olympics as an opportunity for redemption. He had a strong start at Royal Troon, leading by two shots at the halfway mark, but a challenging third round saw him finish sixth, five shots behind the eventual winner, Xander Schauffele. McIlroy, on the other hand, missed the cut at The Open.
Lowry described being one of Ireland’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony as an “amazing experience” and expressed his excitement about the possibility of winning a gold medal for Ireland. He believes that an Olympic gold would be a significant achievement, especially after his recent near-miss at The Open. “I felt I had a good chance to win The Open a couple of weeks ago and was really disappointed not to give it a better go on Saturday and Sunday,” Lowry said. “Straightaway after that, I felt like I have a chance to redeem myself here in a couple of weeks.”
McIlroy, who has not won a major title in a decade, also sees the Olympics as a significant opportunity. He acknowledged that winning an Olympic medal would be a major highlight in his career, especially given his recent struggles in major tournaments. “It’s well documented that I haven’t won one of the big four in 10 years. It would probably be one of, if not the biggest [win] in my career for the last 10 years,” McIlroy said. He also mentioned that the windy conditions at Royal Troon contributed to his poor performance at The Open.
Both golfers are optimistic about their chances in the Olympic competition and have welcomed the possibility of a team format being introduced in future Olympics, such as the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. They also dismissed the suggestion that the absence of US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau diminishes this week’s competition. The American team, which includes defending champion Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, and Wyndham Clark, remains strong, with all four players ranked inside the world’s top six.
McIlroy and Lowry will face tough competition, but they are focused on performing well and bringing home medals for Ireland. McIlroy will play alongside Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Åberg and world No. 1 Scheffler for the first two days, while Lowry has been drawn with Korea’s Byeong Hun An and Canada’s Nick Taylor.
After the Olympics, Lowry is scheduled to compete in the Wyndham Championship from August 8-11, the final regular event of the PGA Tour season. Both Lowry and McIlroy are then set to participate in the FedEx St Jude Championship the following week, with both events being broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf.
