Rory McIlroy explains Olympic change of heart – and his unlikely love of dressage

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Rory McIlroy has had a change of heart in regard to his participation in the Olympics following his first two rounds at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Tokyo this week. Ahead of the Games the four-time major champion seemed rather apprehensive about the opportunity to become an Olympian in Japan after he said the event was ‘not much to look forward to’.

Speaking after his appearance at the Open Championship just under two weeks ago, McIlroy said: “I don’t know if there is much to look forward to [about the Olympics], It’s obviously going to be a very different environment.”

Dual-national McIlroy could have represented either Great Britain or Ireland and opted for the latter alongside fellow Irishman Shane Lowry. However, the 32-year-old admitted he was not entering the Games for national pride, but rather for the good of golf.

He added: “Look, I’m not a very patriotic guy. I’m doing it because I think it’s the right thing to do.I missed it last time and for golf to be an Olympic sport you need your best players there and I feel like I want to represent the game of golf more than anything else.”

Despite his initial doubt however, Olympic spirit has well and truly switched the former world number one’s opinion on the games following his impressive start to the event in Tokyo.

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The Team Ireland athlete finds himself tied for seventh at the halfway point, after a superb five-under-par, 66 put him four shots behind leader Xander Schaffele with two rounds left to play.

Following his Day two successes, McIlroy expressed his clear change in opinion, and even told of his excitement of competing in the next Games at Paris 2024, at 2018 Ryder Cup course Le Golf National.

The 32-year-old said: “I didn’t know if this was going to be my only Olympics that I play or whatever and I’m already looking forward to Paris. When your sport is in the Olympics, and you’re all a part of something that’s a bit bigger than yourself and your sport, and that’s a great thing.”

Clearly the effect of being in and around the Games has had a positive impact on McIlroy, as the Irishman also explained he has enjoyed staying alongside other athletes and following the games.

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He added: “We’re staying in a hotel and the US basketball team is also there. We got a couple of German athletes. We were on the range and we heard that Ireland won the gold medal in rowing. “

We’re trying to concentrate a lot on what you’re doing, but you’re also really interested in everything else that’s going on around you. So, I think that’s the very cool part about it. 

“You’re competing in the Olympics but 30 minutes down the road everyone else is competing as well. I think that’s the thing that, maybe not being in the Olympics last time, I didn’t understand.”

As well as finely tuning his golf game during his free time, the four-time major winner explained he enjoys watching other Olympic events – most notably the dressage.

He commented: “The one thing that’s on tonight that I would love to go and see is dressage,” McIlroy said. “It’s mesmerising and it’s on tonight at like 7.30pm. I’ll watch it on TV. I watch it once every few years, obviously and it’s really cool.”

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