Rory McIlroy has insisted he does not have to play for Ireland at the 2016 Olympic games.

Peter Dawson, the Chief Executive of the R&A, last week suggested the choice of who to represent at the Olympic games might be taken away from players such as Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell as players could be bound to represent the nation they had represented previously in their careers. In the case of the McIlroy and McDowell that would see them represent Ireland in 2016.

However, McIlroy, speaking yesterday in advance of this weekend’s Wachovia Championship, refuted the suggestion that he will be pushed into playing for Ireland if he does not want to.

"I think Rule 41 in the Olympic Charter states that I still have a choice and it's not like they can take it away from me. If you play for a country and then either change nationality or whatever, or if you don't play for that country for three years, you still have a choice.
"I haven't played for anyone, I guess, since the end of 2011 in the World Cup (when he and Graeme McDowell represented Ireland).

"Obviously, going into the Olympics, that'll be five years, so I'll still have a choice."

Dawson raised the issue last week and suggested the ruling could save McIlroy and McDowell a significant amount of hassle, by virtue of taking the choice away from them.
McIlroy told reporters he wants to cease talking about the issue until the time comes to make a final decision.

"The more it's talked about, the more it gets blown up. I'd rather not talk about it until I have to decide what to do."

When reporters asked McIlroy if he would represent Ireland at this year’s World Cup of Golf, McIlroy responded with a definite “no”.