MEN'S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION

August 4, 2024

Rory McIlroy

Le Golf National

Quick Quotes

Q. Going into the back nine, looked like you got it going.

RORY McILROY: I did get it going.

Q. Were you leaderboard watching, as you said you were all week?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, when I got to 10 and 11, I looked at the board and I was 14 and Jon had got to 20. So I was like -- I didn't feel like I had a chance.

Then I looked at the board again after I birdied 14 and I was one behind and I was like, holy sh-it, what just happened. Even that wedge shot on 15, I hit the shot I wanted to hit. The two boys in front of me, Nicolai and Hideki, they got their balls up in the air a little bit more and the wind carry it, and I saw they went like 25, 30 feet past.

I hit the shot I wanted to hit but I didn't get the ball in the air enough for the wind to carry it the extra three or four yards I needed to. Tried to stay aggressive and land a wedge between the front edge and the hole. Missed my spot by nearly three or four yards and that ended up costing me a medal.

Q. Was Gold even in your mind at that point?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, absolutely. I had a wedge in my hand on 15 and you birdie that and get to 18-under and tied for the lead, yeah, absolutely. Any medal is possible at that point.

Q. The week as a whole?

RORY McILROY: Amazing. We were talking about it out there and Nico reckons it's the best tournament he's ever been involved in, and he's played a Ryder Cup.

I still think that the Ryder Cup is the best tournament that we have in our game, pure competition, and I think this has the potential to be right up there with it. I think with how much of a sh-t show the game of golf is right now and you think about the two tournaments that might be the purest form of competition in our sport, we don't play for money in it.

So it speaks volumes for what's important in sports and what's important, I think every single player this week has had an amazing experience.

Q. Such an amazing leaderboard, got the juices flowing?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, you've got Scottie, looks like he's gone to win and Xander who has won two majors this year. You've got Jon, who has been one of the best players in the world for the least five or six years. Tommy, Hideki, myself. It was an amazing leaderboard for the tournament.

Q. A different experience from the Tokyo games.

RORY McILROY: Yeah.

Q. Can you take anything out of it? Was it a good experience?

RORY McILROY: Amazing experience. Probably one of the best individual competitions I've been a part of.

Q. Why do you say that?

RORY McILROY: I think just the atmosphere. Even standing on the 16th tee and watching 18 and seeing Victor Perez come up 18 and how he was serenaded by the French crowds. We don't get that any other place that we play, maybe apart from The Ryder Cup.

So yeah, I just thought it was an incredible atmosphere and environment to play in, and I think everyone in the field had a blast.

Q. Tommy did well.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, amazing -- I think he did, hopefully.

Yeah, look, great fight and again, Tommy loves the game, loves traditions, history. Yeah, and you know, I think this obviously means a lot to him and it's good to see him play well this week.

Q. How about yourself, what are your overriding emotions?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I was saying up there, I feel like I've been golf's Nearly Man for the last three years. I obviously want that tide to turn and go from the Nearly Man to back to winning golf tournaments. It's all well and good saying I'm close and close and close. Once I actually step through the threshold and turn these near misses and close calls into wins, that's what I need to do.

Q. Do you feel that same emotion, that it's nearly?

RORY McILROY: For sure.

Q. What memories or experiences will you take away from being a member of Team Ireland for the week?

RORY McILROY: I think just this has been my first Games where it's felled like an Olympic Games, I guess. We weren't able to interact with any other athletes in Tokyo because of COVID. To be able to go to some of the other events and to feel the spirit of the Olympics and what it's all about and having dozens and dozens of athletes come from all over the word to compete in their individual sports and to be a part of that, it's felt really cool.

Q. What did you get to?

RORY McILROY: I do like dressage. I think it's amazing how they get those horses to do that.

We got to the tennis one night, and then I'm going to go to the athletics and the gymnastics the next couple nights.

Q. Are you staying around?

RORY McILROY: Just for a couple of days. I'll get back to the U.S. Tuesday.

Q. 72 holes being another boring tournament.

RORY McILROY: It wasn't a boring tournament for sure.

Q. Still the best way to decide who should get the Gold Medal?

RORY McILROY: Absolutely. I think it's the best way to decide. If they wanted to do like a two-day team type of competition thing and we played for six days, I'd be all for that.

But in terms of the individual Gold Medal, I don't think there's a better way to determine a champion than 72-hole stroke play.