Lord Coe keen to see Rory McIlroy at 2016 Olympics

Lord Coe hopes that world No 2 Rory McIlroy will compete at the Rio 2016 Olympics despite the high-pressure decision still to be made about who he should represent at the Games.

The 23 year-old Northern Irishman, who might be eligible for selection by either Britain or Ireland, could opt out for fear of upsetting people with his choice.

British Olympic Association (BOA) chairman Coe said they are waiting for the eligibility criteria to be finalised. He said: “As somebody who has welcomed golf in to the Olympic family (for the first time since 1904), I think that most of us want to see the best players playing. I hope that Rory is there.”

McIlroy has played for Ireland at amateur level and World Cup level. Mark England, the BOA’s Games services director, said: “We are fact finding at the moment and waiting to hear back about those facts.”

Speaking last year, McIlroy said: “Whatever decision I make, whether that’s play for Ireland, play for Britain, not play at all maybe just because I don’t want to upset too many people...”

Meanwhile, former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen faltered after a fittingly flying start, but still found himself just one shot off the lead in the weather-delayed Ballantine’s Championship. Oosthuizen made the journey from Florida to South Korea in a private jet laid on by the tournament sponsors and repaid their investment with six birdies in his first eight holes. That took the world No 7 into the lead, but dropped shots on the tenth and 12th meant Oosthuizen was four-under after 16 holes when fading light brought the first day’s play to a close.

Half of the 156-strong field, including Paul Lawrie, will return to Blackstone Golf Club at 7:30am local time today to complete their rounds, with the clubhouse lead shared on five-under-par 67 by France’s Jean-Baptiste Gonnet, Australia’s Kieran Pratt, Swede Johan Edfors, Korea’s Kim Gi-whan and England’s Matthew Baldwin after a delay of two hours and ten minutes due to rain and poor visibility.

Marc Warren bounced back from his late collapse in the Spanish Open to card a flawless opening 70, the same score posted by compatriots Stephen Gallacher and Peter Whiteford, who birdied four of his last five holes, as they sat three off the clubhouse lead.

Richie Ramsay signed for a 71, while Scott Jamieson and Lawrie will resume their rounds on one-over and three-over respectively.