Irish golfers Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have officially qualified to compete for Ireland at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The men’s qualification period for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games commenced on June 17, 2022, and concluded following the US Open on June 17, 2024.
The top 15 players on the Official World Golf Ranking are eligible for the Olympic Games, up to a maximum of four golfers from a single country.
Currently ranked number two in the world, McIlroy, from Co Down, has qualified to compete for Ireland at the 2024 Olympics.
Beyond the top 15, players were eligible based on the Official World Golf Ranking, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that did not already have two or more players among the top 15.
Currently 33rd on the Official World Golf Ranking, Lowry, from Co Offaly, has qualified to compete for Ireland at the 2024 Olympics.
McIlroy landed at number two on the Olympic Golf Rankings, while Lowry landed at 17th.
RTE News notes that should either McIlroy or Lowry opt out of the 2024 Olympic games, Co Waterford native Seamus Power, currently ranked 121st in the world, would be next in line to represent Ireland.
60 men and 60 women will ultimately qualify to compete in golf at the 2024 Olympics.
For Ireland, Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow are poised to qualify for the women's side.
The International Golf Federation (IGF) said on Tuesday that the women’s Olympic Golf Ranking will be finalized following the conclusion of this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Once the women’s Olympic Golf Ranking is finalized, the International Golf Federation (IGF) will send confirmation of the men’s and women’s quota places to the National Olympic Committees (NOCs).
The NOCs will then confirm use of allocated quota places to the IGF by June 27 and the IGF, in turn, will reallocate all unused quota places before the Paris 2024 Sport Entries Deadline on July 8.
The official qualifications were confirmed just after both McIlroy and Lowry competed in the US Open.
McIlroy, who won the US Open in 2011, suffered a heartbreaking second-place loss to American player Bryson DeChambeau.
In a statement on social media on Monday, McIlroy said Sunday was "a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer."
After congratulating "worthy champion" DeChambeau, McIlroy announced that he is "going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at
Royal Troon."
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) June 17, 2024
Meanwhile, Lowry, who finished in a tied place for 19th at the US Open, offered a warm message to his pal McIlroy.
"What Rory has gone through is as tough as it gets in our game," Lowry wrote, "but I would like to encourage people if anything please be kind."
From the outside looking in… this game is easy. But in reality it’s the worst game of all. We are very fortunate to get what we do from this game but over the last 24 hours it’s hit me. We do it for not only ourselves but for our family, friends and fans. What Rory has gone… pic.twitter.com/2z7hl4CqmF
— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) June 17, 2024
In April, McIlroy and Lowry together won the Zurich Classic in New Orleans.
McIlroy said afterward: "To win any PGA Tour event is very cool, but to do it with one of your closest friends -- we've known each other for a long, long time, probably like over 20 years.
"To think about where we met and where we've come from, to be on this stage and do this together -- really, really cool journey that we've been a part of."
He added: "The reason that Shane and I both started to play golf is because we thought it was fun at some stage in our life.
"Reinjecting a little bit of that fun back into it in a week like this week, it can always help."
Comments