Rory McIlroy's admission before Olympics causes a stir: "This has to be a bit"

Rory McIlroy's favourite Olympic sport is dressage. 

At least that is what he wrote on a whiteboard as he posed for a photograph ahead of the men's golf tournament. 

McIlroy was asked to write down the nation he is representing, his nickname, his favourite Olympic sport and his goals for Paris 2024.

Understandably, McIlroy wrote down that he will be going for the gold medal. 

Whilst world number one Scottie Scheffler claimed his goal was simply to 'have fun'. 

Some golf fans weren't sure if McIlroy was joking. 

"Rory's banterous approach to the week now extends to calling dressage his favourite sport," one wrote on X. "This can only be a bit."

Another added: "Is Rors taking the p--- with his favourite sport?"

It's not a bit and no, he is certainly not taking the p---. 

McIlroy has spoken of his admiration for dressage before. 

At the last Games in Japan, McIlroy was asked how many events he had been to watch. 

"The one thing that's on tonight that I would love to go and see is dressage," he said. 

McIlroy described the sport as 'mesmerising'.

"Difficult to know"

McIlroy will get his first round of the Olympic men's golf tournament underway at 9.11am BST on Thursday. 

GolfMagic will be bringing you live text updates. 

He is playing alongside Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg. 

In his pre-tournament news conference, McIlroy threatened to reignite a feud with LIV players by offering a brutal response after some golfers from the breakaway tour complained about the qualification process. 

Jon Rahm and Carlos Ortiz have suggested the qualification process should change to accommodate the LIV players. 

"You knew what you had to do," McIlroy said. 

"Just like if you wanted to qualify for the Ryder Cup, you knew what you had to do. 

"They were very aware of the decision they made when they did."

McIlroy was also asked about where winning an Olympic gold medal would rank among his career accomplishments. 

The 35-year-old was previously fairly ambivalent about the Olympic Games. 

Now he's changed his tune. 

"It's hard to say," McIlroy said when asked if the Olympics will ever rival the majors. 

"Even this week, the way the qualification system works, not all the best players in the world are here.

"You'd like to think that if you're going to win something really prestigious in the sport then you want all the best players playing and that isn't quite happening here.

"It's still very meaningful and if I were to win a medal, especially a gold medal, it would mean a lot to me."

The Olympic Games represents McIlroy's first start since his disastrous performance at the final men's major of the year. 

McIlroy missed the cut at the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon. 

"I've obviously had a bit more time off than I wanted with not playing the weekend at The Open," McIlroy said.  

"But I'm excited to be here and at a golf course where I've got a lot of fond memories from the Ryder Cup a few years ago.

"And it's good to get back to playing in conditions that are a little bit more familiar. 

"Obviously Troon was really, really difficult but to be out here in the sunshine without a lot of wind feels really nice."

Watched our latest YouTube video?