Rory McIlroy: "Holy s---, what just happened?"

Rory McIlroy says he was eyeing up a gold medal in the men's Olympic golf competition before making a disastrous mistake at the 15th hole. 

McIlroy began the final round with work to do but his day started perfectly when he made a birdie right out of the gate at Le Golf National. 

The 35-year-old made another birdie at the par-5 third hole before he made six pars on the bounce. 

Related: Schauffele responds to McIlroy's 's*** show' comments - 'He bounces around with his opinion'

It looked as though his chance for a medal had gone until he turned on the magic on the back nine, making five birdies in a row. 

Then disaster struck at the par-4 16th when he tried to take on a front pin with water looming with his second shot. 

McIlroy thought he hit his approach perfectly but he missed his landing spot by a few feet, he said. 

"I didn't feel like I had a chance," McIlroy told reporters. 

"Then I looked at the board again after I birdied 14 and I was one behind and I was like, holy s---, what just happened."

Asked to describe the shot that found a watery grave, McIlroy added: "[I] hit the shot I wanted to hit but I didn't get the ball in the air enough for the wind to carry it the extra three or four yards I needed to. 

"Tried to stay aggressive and land a wedge between the front edge and the hole. 

"[I] missed my spot by nearly three or four yards and that ended up costing me a medal."

McIlroy skipped the 2016 games in Brazil because of the zika virus. 

He also didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about competing in the Games. 

Then he made his Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020 later claimed he had never tried so hard to finish third. 

This week was on another level, he said. 

Asked to describe the week, McIlroy said: "Amazing. We were talking about it out there and Nico [Hojgaard] reckons it's the best tournament he's ever been involved in, and he's played a Ryder Cup.

"I still think that the Ryder Cup is the best tournament that we have in our game, [because it is] pure competition, and I think this has the potential to be right up there with it. 

"I think with how much of a s--t show the game of golf is right now and you think about the two tournaments that might be the purest form of competition in our sport, we don't play for money in it.

"So it speaks volumes for what's important in sports and what's important, I think every single player this week has had an amazing experience."

McIlroy said the tournament was one of the best individual games he has been a part of. 

He spoke of the support home favourite Victor Perez received, who carded a scintillating final round of 63 to just miss out on a medal. 

"We don't get that any other place that we play, maybe apart from The Ryder Cup," McIlroy said. 

"So yeah, I just thought it was an incredible atmosphere and environment to play in, and I think everyone in the field had a blast."

Nearly man

McIlroy told reporters that he knows he has been golf's 'nearly man' for the last few years. 

He is without a major championship win since the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla. 

McIlroy went close in 2024 but missed out on breaking his major drought at the 2024 U.S. Open. 

He finished in a tie for 22nd at The Masters, tied for 12th at the US PGA and missed the cut at The Open. 

"I obviously want that tide to turn and go from the nearly man to back to winning golf tournaments," he said. 

"It's all well and good saying I'm close and close and close. 

"Once I actually step through the threshold and turn these near misses and close calls into wins, that's what I need to do."

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