Rory McIlroy is one of the headline names set to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic event, which gets underway on Thursday at Le Golf National.
The Northern Irishman has kept a low profile since missing the cut at The Open Championship. However, McIlroy was spotted playing St Andrews on Monday before making the short trip across the Channel.
After finishing fourth in Tokyo, the four-time major winner will be desperate to go one better at the 2018 Ryder Cup venue.
But for McIlroy to finally land a medal, overcoming a star-studded USA team is a must. Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are just two of the eye-catching American stars set to compete in the men’s and women’s competitions.
However, there is one huge name missing from Team USA.
Rory McIlroy asked about Bryson DeChambeau’s absence
Bryson DeChambeau won’t feature at the Olympics. The LIV Golf star currently sits ninth in the OWGR but would no doubt be higher if the breakaway league received ranking points.
As a result, Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark have made up the rest of the four-man US team. American fans are less than pleased with Clark’s inclusion, considering his poor 2024 form.
McIlroy, however, has claimed DeChambeau missing out is simply part of the highly challenging qualification process.
“Yeah, I think that’s the nature of qualification for the Olympics,” he said in his press conference ahead of the Olympics. “I mean, you could have the fifth-best sprinter in the world, but if he’s from a certain country, he’s not able to make it.
“So I think it’s just the way that the qualification works in the Olympic Games, and that’s not just in golf. That’s in other disciplines, as well.”
Bryson DeChambeau wants new Olympic qualifying event added
DeChambeau missed out on the Tokyo Olympics after contracting COVID-19 just one week before. The two-time US Open winner has claimed he’s eager for a qualifying event to be introduced.
“I could foresee something like that happening, there being a tournament, but as it stands right now, I am excited to watch,” said the LIV Golf star.
DeChambeau missing out on the Olympics is just another example of an issue caused by the divide in the game of golf.
It shouldn’t come as a shock to those at the OWGR and PGA Tour, but LIV is going nowhere. The sooner world ranking points are offered, the better.
Until a resolution is found, some of the world’s elite players will be forced to miss out on the most significant events.
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