Rory McIlroy has raised a few eyebrows after admitting that golf isn’t necessarily his favorite Olympic sport, as he shot 68 in the first round in Paris.
On Thursday, a viral snap of the 35-year-old holding a whiteboard ahead of his tee time at Le Golf National, where men’s individual stroke play is being held, went viral on social media.
The board had some basic info about McIlroy on it, including his nickname (‘Rors’), the country he’s representing (Ireland), his ‘Paris goal’ of winning gold, and previous Olympic experience (Tokyo 2020).
It also revealed his favorite Olympic sport: dressage.
‘What the hell is Rory’s fav sport?’ a shocked fan on X asked.
Rory McIlroy has stunned golf fans worldwide with his choice of his favorite Olympic sport
The 35-year-old revealed that dressage – an equestrian discipline – is his favorite Olympic sport
‘Is Rors taking the p*** with his favourite sport,’ another user wrote.
Rory’s decade long major drought makes a lot more sense in the context of his favourite sport being dressage,’ someone else joked.
Known for his admiration of the equestrian discipline, McIlroy once spoke highly about dressage at the COVID-hit Olympics Games in Tokyo, three years ago.
‘The one thing that’s on tonight that I would love to go the one I’ve always wanted to go to and see is dressage. Always,’ he said, adding: ‘I just, I… it’s mesmerizing and it’s on tonight at like 7.30. I’ll watch it on TV.
‘I just think, I watch it once every few years, obviously and it’s like, I don’t know, it’s mesmerizing and it’s really cool. I don’t know.’
Meanwhile, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama grabbed an early lead in the men’s Olympic golf tournament with a bogey-free opening round, but defending champion Xander Schauffele of the United States was close behind as he brought his sparkling form to Paris.
McIlroy finished three under par after the first round at the Le Golf National in Paris on Thurs.
Matsuyama, the former Masters champion who just missed out on bronze on home soil three years ago in a playoff, posted an eight under par 63, putting Asia’s top-ranked player two ahead of Schauffele, whose 65 featured seven birdies and one bogey.
Schauffele, who won last month’s British Open to claim his second major title this year, credited himself with steadying his game after a ‘clanky’ start.
‘It’s Thursday so I’m not really sweating it too much,’ he told reporters.
Tied in third place at five under were Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo and South Korea’s Tom Kim.
US world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was in touch at four under after playing alongside McIlroy who finished on three under.
