Rory McIlroy on politics of participation at Olympics: ‘For me, it’s a little more complicated’

Ahead of the $9.5 million WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, the four-time major winner shed light on the politics that saw him miss out this summer's Rio Games and could prevent him from playing at Tokyo 2020.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits a tee shot during practice prior to the start of the WGC - HSBC Champions at the Sheshan International Golf Club on October 26, 2016 in Shanghai, China. Scott HalShow more

The world No 3 has hinted that his Rio Olympic snub may not have been entirely due to fears over the Zika virus, saying his situation was “a little more complicated” than others.

Preparing for ‘Asia’s major’

On the eve of “Asia’s major” – the US$9.5 million (Dh35m) World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai – the Northern Irishman said he had not yet given much thought about playing at Tokyo 2020, being dubbed as “Asia’s Olympics”.

Politics getting in the way

“The participation in the Olympics, for me it’s just a little more complicated than for some other people, where I’m from and the whole politics of the thing,” he said. McIlroy was referring to having to choose whether to represent Great Britain or the Republic of Ireland at the Games, a touchy topic.

Britain or Ireland?

“It’s a difficult subject for me,” McIlroy, 27, said before acknowledging that the sport’s first appearance in the Games for more than 100 years had been a success despite his initial reservations. Before pulling out ahead of the Rio Games, he had come under fire from some quarters in Northern Ireland for originally opting to compete under Ireland’s tricolour.

Joy to watch golf on TV

McIlroy had given a blunt assessment of Olympic golf before Rio, saying he might not even watch it on TV. “Probably [I’ll watch] the events like track and field, swimming, diving, the stuff that matters,” he had said. But he revealed he had tuned in, and he was delighted by what unfolded as his Ryder Cup teammates Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson went head-to-head right to the last putt on the final green. “It was fantastic for golf. Honestly, I was happy to be watching on TV,” he said.

Undecided on Tokyo

McIlroy got a taste of what he had missed out on at the Sheshan International Golf Club course yesterday. As he entered the media centre for a news conference, Stenson was leaving, clutching his Olympic silver medal. But he still would not commit to going to Tokyo. Not yet anyway. “Four years time is a long way away, so we’ll see what happens,” the four-time major winner said.

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