Rory McIlroy cruelly denied amazing Olympics history at Le Golf National

Rory McIlroy was denied a famous albatross by the barest of margins during his second round at the Olympics.

Rory McIlroy was tantalisingly close to scripting a historic moment during his play at Le Golf National, as the four-time major champ narrowly missed out on an albatross during the Olympic tournament.

Representing Team Ireland with team-mate Shane Lowry in Paris, McIlroy started on a high note, having managed a strong round on day one. Come Friday, he nailed an impressive eagle at the third hole after teeing off with a pair of pars.

The highlight, however, was when McIlroy’s second shot from the fairway incredibly slam-dunked into the cup and bounced out, settling just two feet away from glory.

McIlroy went on to finish two-under par in his second round, leaving him at five-under overall heading into the weekend. He trails joint leaders Xander Schauffele (USA), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) and Tommy Fleetwood (Team GB) by six shots.

Competing in his second Olympics after Tokyo, McIlroy has previously been vocal about his scepticism over golf’s place in the Games. The sport made its comeback to the Olympics only six years ago after a century in the shadows.

Back in 2016, amidst the Zika scare in Brazil, McIlroy opted out of the Rio Games along with several top players and once remarked before the Olympics comeback: “I think I’ll be remembered for my major championships. So all I’ve dreamed of from a little kid is winning majors.

I never dreamed of competing in the Olympics or winning an Olympic medal. So in my mind, a major will always be more important.”