Rory McIlroy remains one of the best golfers in the world on his day, and although he's undergone some incredibly mixed form so far in 2024, the Northern Irishman has a chance to make history at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and carries the weight of the nation on his shoulders.
The 35-year-old will see his wait for a fifth Major Championship win extend into an 11th year, after coming oh-so-close at the US Open before a final round to forget saw him lose the title by a single shot to Bryson DeChambeau.
McIlroy had recorded ties for 22nd and 12th at the Masters and PGA Championship prior to that in 2024, but coming into his second Olympic Games representing Ireland, the world number three had a horror show at the Open Championship in Scotland, never getting going in the early rounds and missing the halfway cut as a result.
However, as he and world number 27 Shane Lowry prepare to don the green of Ireland at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, McIlroy will be looking to put his near-misses of years gone by behind him, and pull off a huge shock by denying the USA a second-straight gold medal victory.
When does Rory McIlroy play at the 2024 Olympics?
The men's Golf tournament at the 2024 Olympics Games will be held at Le Golf National course in Guyancourt, just outside Paris. The first round begins on Thursday, August 1 and concludes with the final round on Saturday, August 4.
Each day of play lasts roughly nine hours, split between two parts as the 60 qualifiers from 32 different nations tee off from the early rounds onwards, which will be played throughout the early morning to noon Eastern Time.
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | TV Channel | Live Stream |
| Thu, August 1 |
3:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
Men's Round 1 | Golf Channel | Fubo, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app |
| Fri, August 2 |
3:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
Men's Round 2 | Golf Channel | Fubo, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app |
| Sat, August 3 |
3:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
Men's Round 3 | Golf Channel | Fubo, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app |
| Sun, August 4 |
3:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. 7:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. |
Men's Final Round | Golf Channel | Fubo, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app |
What time do Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry tee off?
McIlroy and his Ireland teammate Shane Lowry have both been allotted tee times through the middle of the field in Round 1 of the men's golf tournament at the 2024 Olympics Games, which begins from 9:00 a.m. local time (CEST) at Le Golf National in Paris, France.
McIlroy makes up one third of arguably the strongest three-player group in Round 1, and will tee off at 10:11 a.m. local time (CEST) alongside Sweden's Ludvig Aberg and Scottie Scheffler – the current world number one and defending Olympic champion from Team US.
Lowry, meanwhile, tees off alongside Nick Taylor of Canada and South Korea's Byeong Hun-An one hour after McIlroy's tournament gets underway – with a full breakdown of McIlroy's tee time across the various US time zones below:
| US Time Zone | Date | Rory McIlroy Tee Time |
| Eastern Time | Thursday, August 1 | 4:11 a.m. |
| Central Time | Thursday, August 1 | 3:11 a.m. |
| Mountain Time | Thursday, August 1 | 2:11 a.m. |
| Pacific Time | Thursday, August 1 | 1:11 a.m. |
| Alaskan Time | Thursday, August 1 | 12:11 a.m. |
| Hawaiian Time | Wednesday, August 2 | 11:11 p.m. |
Rory McIlroy at 2024 Olympics: TV channel, live stream
- TV channel: Golf Channel
- Live streams: Fubo | Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app
As the home of golf in the US throughout the PGA Tour and other major events, the Golf Channel's widespread coverage of the sport's Olympic exploits is no different, with wall-to-wall broadcasting of both sessions on each day of the men's tournament at the 2024 Paris Games.
Peacock and the NBC network are broadcasting both the men's and women's golf tournaments across their various online streaming platforms, but your best bet for the best coverage is with Fubo, who have live and catch-up access to the Golf Channel's broadcast feed and are offering a free trial for new subscribers!
Rory McIlroy's Golf record at the Olympic Games
Before golf made its long-overdue return to the Olympic calendar in 2016, McIlroy had been caught in two minds over whether to compete for Great Britain or Ireland, as due to being Northern Irish, the 35-year-old has a connection to both countries.
However, he did not play for either team in Rio de Janiero, withdrawing over concerns with the Zika virus. With the success of the 2016 golf tournament in Brazil though, McIlroy stated he would be competing in the Tokyo Games, and following its delay due to the covid-19 pandemic, represented Ireland in 2021.
Just like in 2024, McIlroy and Irish compatriot Lowry both qualified for the games in Tokyo, and ended up tied in seventh at seven-under-par going into the third round. McIlroy pulled clear of his teammate in the third, but couldn't keep up with Zander Schauffele on the final day of play, eventually finishing tied for fourth with five other players at 15 under-par.