Rory McIlroy Tied for 15th in Olympic Golf

Rory McIlroy finished the opening round of the Olympic men’s golf event in Paris two shots off the medal positions after carding a three-under 68. McIlroy’s round included five birdies and an eagle but featured four bogeys, including a final-hole bogey that placed him in a tie for 15th. McIlroy trails leader Hideki Matsuyama of Japan by five strokes. Matsuyama shot an impressive bogey-free 63 with eight birdies, putting him at the top spot at Le Golf National.

Defending champion Xander Schauffele, who recently achieved the rare feat of winning both The Open and the US PGA Championship in the same year, sits in second place, two shots behind Matsuyama. Schauffele and Jon Rahm of Spain finished later in the round and faced a temporary suspension due to lightning threats. Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo and South Korea’s Tom Kim tied for third after shooting rounds of 66.

World number one Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood from Great Britain and Rahm stand further behind, one shot off the pace. McIlroy’s Ireland team-mate Shane Lowry shot a level-par 71, struggling with three bogeys, including a final-hole dropped shot after the first lightning delay. After an early bogey on the par-three second hole, McIlroy recovered with birdies on the third and fifth holes, followed by an eagle on the ninth to make the turn at three under.

Despite bogeys on the 10th and 12th, Rory McIlroy highlighted his round with three consecutive birdies from the 13th. However, he ended his round with a disappointing five on the 18th after three putts. McIlroy narrowly missed a bronze medal during his Olympic debut in Tokyo, finishing in a play-off.