What Rory McIlroy told Wyndham Clark in private chat about his view on golf at the Olympics

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It is fair to say that the first two golf events following the sport’s return to the Olympic Games ran into their fair share of problems.

Many of the world’s best players stayed away from Brazil in 2016, while the crowds in Tokyo five years later were much smaller due to the pandemic. So Paris 2024 arguably provided the first opportunity to show just what kind of potential golf could have as an Olympic event.

Le Golf National had provided a brilliant stage during the 2018 Ryder Cup. And there was no shortage of the world’s top players involved earlier this year, with Scottie Scheffler ultimately winning the gold medal after a stunning performance on Sunday.

Wyndham Clark reveals what Rory McIlroy told him about the Olympic golf event

It proved to be a fantastic event, with all sorts of drama unfolding. Jon Rahm led by four at one stage during the final round, only to miss out on the medals entirely. Meanwhile, third round leader Xander Schauffele ending up finishing in a tie for ninth.

It was a remarkable spectacle, and it seems that the players are absolutely sold on playing in the Olympics, with Wyndham Clark telling the No Laying Up Podcast that Rory McIlroy now places the event near the very top of the pecking order.

“I think it’s becoming really big in golf. I remember talking with Rory about it, he’s like, ‘this is one of our biggest events, and it needs to be advertised that way’, because it felt like that in France,” he said.

“And I’m hoping it continues to feel like that in all the other ones, because it felt like a major and you had the best players all fighting at the end, trying to get one of those medals, which is pretty cool.”

How has Rory McIlroy performed at the Olympic Games?

It is fair to say that McIlroy has experienced quite the turnaround in his views of the Olympic Games over the years. He was one of several players to pull out of going to Brazil in 2016 amid concerns over the Zika virus. McIlroy went on to suggest that he would probably not even watch the golf event that year, feeling that it did not matter.

But clearly, his opinion started to change before Tokyo in 2021. McIlroy went on to miss out on a bronze medal in a seven man play-off.

It was another close call for McIlroy in Paris, with the 35-year-old finishing in a tie for fifth – two shots behind Hideki Matsuyama, who took the final spot on the podium.

It does appear that the majors are still well ahead of the Olympic Games in the eyes of many. But given that there are 20 majors for every Olympic Games, it is clear to see why the top players now value the event so highly.

Where will golf at the 2028 Olympic Games be held?

The 2028 Olympic Games are set to be held in Los Angeles, with the golf being played at Riviera Country Club. Riviera last held a major in 1995 when Steve Elkington won the PGA Championship after a play-off with Colin Montgomerie.