Image copyright: Getty Images
2020 Summer Olympic Games
Thursday 29 July - Sunday 01 August 2021
Kasumigaseki Country Club
Tokyo, Japan
Rory McIlroy has admitted that he isn't a 'very patriotic guy' ahead of the start of the men's
golf tournament at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo this Thursday.
The Northern Irishman, who in the past spoke about the difficulties on whether to represent Great Britain or Ireland at the Games or simply avoid the event altogether, confirmed that he would play under the tricolour in 2019.
Image copyright: Getty Images
"I am not a very patriotic guy," said McIlroy when asked if going to Tokyo amid the Covid-19 pandemic was a test of his patriotism.
"I am doing it because I think it is the right thing to do. I missed it last time and for golf to be an Olympic sport you need your best players there, and I feel like I want to represent the game of golf more than anything else.
"I don't know if there is much to look forward to, it is obviously going to be a very different environment.
"I am looking forward to getting another week's golf in and trying to get my game in shape. There is not much else to do there so 12 hours a day on the golf course, hopefully I get my game in a bit better shape," the 32-year-old, who missed the 2016 Games in Brazil due to concerns about the Zika virus, added.
Shane Lowry will be Ireland's other representative in the men's tournament which takes place at the Kasumigaseki Country Club.
Past winners:
1900: Charles Sands - United States of America
1904: George Lyon - Canada
1908-2012: Not included in the Olympic program
2016: Justin Rose - Great Britain
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