"I have always felt more of a connection with the UK than with Ireland"

Rory McIlroy just won the BMW Championship, which was his second FedExCup Playoffs victory in as many weeks against a stacked leaderboard. With his victory at Crooked Stick, the Ulsterman joins Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as only the third player in history to win six PGA Tour events before the ripe old age of 24. But, instead of discussing how great his recent accomplishments are, Rory is having to defend his recent comments about his national identity.

When golf returns to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Rory will have to decide if he's going to represent Great Britain or Ireland. In a recent interview with The Daily Mail, Rory said he's always felt more of a "connection" to Great Britain, which led some to think he was beginning the process of letting Ireland down easy.

'What makes it such an awful position to be in is I have grown up my whole life playing for Ireland under the Golfing Union of Ireland umbrella,' he said. 'But the fact is, I've always felt more British than Irish.

'Maybe it was the way I was brought up, I don't know, but I have always felt more of a connection with the UK than with Ireland. And so I have to weigh that up against the fact that I've always played for Ireland and so it is tough. Whatever I do, I know my decision is going to upset some people but I just hope the vast majority will understand.'

Well, as you might expect, Rory ~~was forced to~~ issued a statement clarifying his recent comments and his allegiance.

"Having just won three out of my last four tournaments, including a second Major Championship, I was hoping that my success on the golf course would be the more popular topic of golfing conversation today! However, the issue of my cultural identity has reemerged, and with it, the matter of my national allegiance ahead of the Rio Olympics.

. . .

I wish to clarify that I have absolutely not made a decision regarding my participation in the next Olympics. On a personal level, playing in the Olympics would be a huge honour. However, the Games in Rio are still four years away and I certainly won't be making any decisions with regards to participating any time soon."

Rory is definitely stuck between a rock and a hard place regarding his allegiance. Rory, if you're reading, may I suggest becoming a U.S.-citizen and representing America? Why just piss off one country when you can piss of both countries?

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[ comments ]

mjaber says:
Or, he could simply elect not to play. He could site the fact that, by and large, the Olympics have historically been an amateur competition and that he feels that they should be kept that way.

9/10/12

srogers13 says:
He could marry Woczniak and play for her country.

9/10/12

wrhall02 says:
That would be very noble @mjaber, but I doubt there is a Pro today that would pass up the chance to participate in the Olympics (any sport). That's what makes people like Bobby Jones so special, he was a true and noble amateur!

9/10/12

badcaddy says:
gripe #1, I wish we lived in a world where this was not an issue. gripe #2, Rory can still mathmatically lose the FedEx Cup at East Lake.

9/10/12