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.
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"I never dreamed of competing in the Olympics or winning an Olympic medal. So in my mind, a major will always be more important."
Yet, after a long 10-year wait for another major title, the Team Ireland star suggests that winning an Olympic medal would now rank as a significant milestone in his career.
In a candid admission, the former Open champion highlighted the impact of such an achievement: "It would be the achievement, certainly of the year," he said.
"If not -- I think for me, it's well documented that I haven't won one of the Big Four in ten years. It would probably be one if, if not the biggest in my career for the last ten years."
McIlroy, buoyed by his impressive three-under-par 68 at Le Golf National, expressed astonishment at the ardent support on display during the Olympic event, with 25,000 fans opting to watch the golf action amidst numerous attractions in Paris.
Reflecting on the enthusiasm showed by spectators, the world No.3 said: "[The crowd was] unbelievable. It was surprising. With so many events going on spread all across the city, for people to venture out here and to watch us play, it was a really cool atmosphere to play in.
"I was not expecting this. I thought the weekend it might get a few more people. I thought the first couple days might be a little bit quieter but it was awesome. Tokyo was a ghost town [due to COVID-19 restrictions].
"This was much better. I think the crowd support that we all got out there was amazing. Obviously there's a few more flags and there's a bit more, I don't know what the word is, like nationalism. But we were all really well supported out there. It was great to see."
