Rory McIlroy says he will bring his 10 years of hurt to an end if he wins gold in the Olympics here this week.
The Irishman was last seen in competitive action missing the cut at The Open at Royal Troon two weeks ago, with his shortfall meaning that the world No 3 had gone the full decade without adding to his four majors.
McIlroy’s barren run – a complete anomaly considering his form on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour – has become one of the biggest talking points in the sport, but the 35-year-old feels he can silence the doubters if he climbs on top of the podium on Sunday evening.
“It would be the achievement of my year,” McIlroy said, when asked what victory would mean to him. “It’s well documented that I haven’t won one of the Big Four in 10 years. It would probably be one, if not the biggest in my career for the last decade.”
McIlroy was beaten in a play-off for bronze in Tokyo three years ago and commented afterwards “I have never tried so hard to come third in my life”. Since missing the 2016 Games in Rio – golf’s return after a 112-year absence – due to fears about the Zika virus in Brazil, McIlroy has bought into his sport’s presence in the Olympic schedule.
After initially suggesting McIlroy would appear under the Union Flag, he opted to represent the island of Ireland, just as he did throughout his amateur days. The Ulsterman’s determination here in Versailles, cannot be questioned.
“My focus is pretty high,” he said. “The last time you guys saw me, I didn’t give a very good account of myself. I want to make sure I’m right where I need to be teeing off on Thursday.”
McIlroy is honest enough to admit that he is not sure where a gold medal would rank on a crammed CV, which alongside titles at the Open, US Open and USPGA, also features money lists on both Tours and 36 other tournaments around the globe, including The Players Championship at Sawgrass and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
“I’ve been asked this question a lot, where would an Olympic Medal sit in sort of the hierarchy of my career achievements and it’s something I probably won’t be able to answer until when everything is said and done,” he said.
“I think as golf is in the Olympics for a longer period of time, it will become bigger. We have our four events a year that are the gold standard, but in time, this is going to be right up there amongst that.”