On the eve of this week’s Olympic Golf Tournament at Le Golf National in Paris, Rory McIlroy has renewed the LIV Golf conflict.
In recent months, McIlroy, 35, seemed to temper his criticism of everything LIV Golf.
But on Tuesday, he made a strong comeback.
McIlroy, RoryÂ
Rory McIlroy Rory McIlroy was asked what he thought of the Olympic Golf Tournament’s current qualifying requirements.
There are now 60 players that can qualify for the Olympic Games in golf according to the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).
Up to four golfers from a single nation may compete in the Olympics if they are among the top 15 players on the OWGR.
This week, Team USA, consisting of Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Wyndham Clark, is the only country with four representatives.
The Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) include the top two eligible players from each nation after the top 15, provided that nation does not already have two or more players in the top 15.
Many LIV golf players, including Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, and Tyrrell Hatton, have missed out on appearing at the 2024 Olympic Games because of the present system, which mainly rewards the top 15 on the OWGR.
The only ways for LIV Golf players to earn points are through the majors, DP World Tour, or Asian Tour competitions. LIV Golf tournaments are not eligible to receive OWGR points.
Even though Jon Rahm, the most recent victor of LIV Golf, is in the field, the Spaniard previously informed the media that the International Golf Federation needs to alter the tournament’s format and qualification requirements.
However, McIlroy feels that the LIV Golf players who were unable to represent their countries this week are solely responsible for their own actions because to the strict regulations.
See McIlroy’s scathing reply below…
This week, McIlroy, who will play alongside Shane Lowry for Ireland, told reporters in Paris:
Since it’s difficult to compare the golf they play to the golf we play, I don’t think there’s any other way to go about it. They didn’t receive points for the World Ranking for that reason, correct?
Hence, you were aware of the requirements to get a spot at the Olympics. In the same way that you knew what to do to get into the Ryder Cup.
“They knew exactly what they were doing when they made that decision.”
Before the Olympics, McIlroy’s remarks have not been warmly received by LIV Golf supporters on social media.
Naturally, LIV Golf hosts 54-hole competitions with shotgun starts and small fields, whereas the PGA Tour hosts 72-hole events that combine classic cut events with small fields.
Even though McIlroy is focused on winning his first Olympic gold medal on Sunday, he doesn’t think the Olympics are quite as important as the four majors of the season just yet.
Not at this moment, anyhow.
“It’s difficult to predict [whether the Olympic Golf Tournament will grow into a major], because not all of the world’s best players are here even this week due to the way the qualification system operates,” McIlroy said to BBC Sport NI.
“You would think that having all of the best players competing would be necessary to win something very prestigious in the sport, but that isn’t the case in this instance.
“It’s still really meaningful, and I would be very happy if I won a medal—especially a gold one.”
“It’s generally known that I haven’t won one of the big four [majors] in ten years,” he continued. The Olympics would likely rank among the biggest events in my career during the previous ten years, if not the biggest.
In comparison to his remarks prior to Rio in 2016, McIlroy’s remarks regarding competing and contending in the Olympic Games are significantly different.
McIlroy remarked at the time, “I didn’t come into golf to try and grow the game,” after withdrawing from the Olympics. My goal while playing golf was to win majors and championships.”
About the large gap on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, a similar argument about all of the world’s best players competing alongside each other is currently being made.
At the conclusion of the previous season, McIlroy announced his resignation from the PGA Tour policy board in order to devote more of his time to his family and his golf game.
Earlier this year, he was invited back onto the board by several players, but the board ultimately decided against it.
This year, McIlroy has been in constant communication with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan in an attempt to support the PGA Tour in their transaction.
We’ll see what Al-Rumayyan thinks of McIlroy’s most recent remarks.
Leave a Reply