The debate over the international allegiance of Rory McIlroy left the golf superstar exasperated before he finally made a decision over what country he was going to represent back in 2021

Rory McIlroy admitted to being left agonizing over what country to represent at the Olympic Games (Image: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images)

Golf superstar Rory McIlroy admitted that he “resented” the Olympics because of the awkward position he was put in over what country he would represent.

The four-time major championships winner is gearing up for his second appearance at the Games as he prepares to represent Team Ireland in Paris. He made his first outing at the Olympics three years ago in Tokyo, coming within a whisker of earning a medal for the Emerald Isle as he fell short in the bronze play-off.

Coming into the 2021 Games, the debate surrounding his international allegiance was a major talking point – with the 26-time PGA Tour event winner eligible to represent both Ireland and Great Britain. Born in County Down, the 35-year-old eventually decided to represent Ireland on account of having done so at junior and amateur level previously.

Therefore, his roots in Northern Ireland meant that he was placed in a difficult position, with McIlroy admitting that he was left agonizing over what path to pursue. Missing the Olympics in 2016, as golf returned as an event for the first time since 1904, he appeared to be avoiding making a concrete call on his loyalties.

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Reflecting on the debate following the Games in Rio de Janeiro, the golfer admitted to the Sunday Independent: “All of a sudden it put me in a position where I had to question who I am. Who am I? Where am I from? Where do my loyalties lie? Who am I going to play for? Who do I not want to (upset) the most?”

“I started to resent it. And I do. I resent the Olympic Games because of the position it put me in,” he confessed, as he gave his honest recollections about his state of mind regarding the issue at the time. “That’s my feelings toward it. And whether that’s right or wrong, that’s how I feel.”

McIlroy’s eventual U-turn on the subject came ahead of the Tokyo turned out to be a good decision as he revealed after the most recent Olympics that he had enjoyed the experience. He said: “I needed to do a lot of inner thought and sort of… Is this important to me?”

“Why do I want to play it [The Olympics]? Who do I want to represent? All that sort of stuff,” he said, before acknowledging his joy at appearing at the Games, adding: “It’s a wonderful experience. I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“So at the end of the day, I think with where golf is, with it being part of the Olympic movement, I think if I had to look back on my career and not played in one [Olympic Games], I probably would have regretted it.”