CORK, Ireland -- After months of indecision over who to represent, Rory McIlroy announced Wednesday that he will play for Irelan

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CORK, Ireland -- After months of indecision over who to represent, Rory McIlroy announced Wednesday that he will play for Ireland -- not Britain -- at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Nike Air Max Womens Sale Black . The 25-year-old McIlroy, who is from Northern Ireland, was eligible to play for either Ireland or Team GB when golf makes its return to the Olympics in Brazil for the first time since 1904. Having played all of his amateur golf under the auspices of the Dublin-based Golfing Union of Ireland, the two-time major winner opted to stay with Ireland for the Olympics. "I have been thinking about the decision a lot and remembered all the times I represented Ireland as an amateur," McIlroy said on the eve of the Irish Open in Cork. "I was always very proud to put on the Irish uniform and play as an amateur and as a boy, and I would be very proud to do it again." McIlroy has twice played in golfs World Cup for Ireland, both times alongside fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell. "Just because Im getting paid to play this great game now doesnt mean I should change (team)," McIlroy said. "So Im very happy with my decision. It means I can look forward to the Olympics in a couple of years time -- you know, if I qualify, obviously, for the team. "I just thought it was the right thing to do. It was the right time to let everyone know. Now Im really looking forward to Rio in 16." McIlroy announced his decision ahead of next months International Golf Federation meeting that will finalize the eligibility criteria for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. "Theres no point in delaying it and letting it linger any longer," he said. "Watching the World Cup in Brazil, thinking about Brazil in a couple of years time, it just sort of got me thinking, maybe I should just go ahead and get it out of the way." Still, McIlroy said, winning an Olympic medal would not match winning a major championship. "The majors in our sport are the biggest and best prizes in the game," he said. "But as hopefully golf grows in the Olympics and becomes, say, bigger in four or five games down the line, then it might become bigger." Citizens of Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, can hold both British and Irish citizenship. Most of the Protestant majority is British, most of its Catholic minority Irish. McIlroy, while raised a Catholic, grew up in the predominantly Protestant town of Holywood east of Belfast and once said he considered himself more British than Irish. His 2012 comments -- suggesting he might prefer to join the British team -- provoked strong ill feelings from Irish golf fans. McIlroy initially said he might skip Rio entirely to avoid alienating fans further. Two other top Northern Ireland golfers, Darren Clarke and McDowell, are Protestants who have identified with Ireland. 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He became the fifth player in NHL history to start his career with 10 30-goal seasons.Ovechkin, who added an assist, has 15 goals in his last 15 games.Karl Alzner also scored for Washington, which is 1-4-2 in its last seven. Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green had two assists each. Justin Peters made 36 saves.Alzners shot from the point made it 4-3 with 7:32 remaining.Tarasenko had given St. Louis a 4-2 lead when he converted a pass from Steen on a 2-on-1 rush for his 25th goal at 6:13 of the third period.The teams were tied after trading power-play goals in the first period.St. Louis struck first when Peters stopped Oshies blast from the point and Jaden Schwartzs initial rebound attempt, before Steen poked the puck home for his 16th goal at the 2:34 mark.Ovechkin tied it at 9:50 of the first when he blasted Greens pass by a sliding Elliot from his familiar power play home iin the left circle. Nike Air Max Womens Sale 95. .Already minus defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk, who left the game with a lower-body injury after a first-period collision with Ovechkin, the Blues lost forward David Backes when he was ejected for boarding Alzner early in the second.St. Louis killed off a five-minute Washington power play and took the lead just over a minute later. Catching the Capitals on a change, the Blues skated in 3 on 2. Steen gave up the puck but got it back in front of the net and banged his own rebound past Peters to make it 2-1.The Capitals tied it after St. Louis turned the puck over in its own end and Ovechkins wrist shot from the left circle got past Elliot at 14:30.Less than two minutes later, the Blues regained the lead — again off a rebound — when Jaskin slid the puck past Peters from the slot.NOTES: Ovechkin (94) passed Peter Bondra (93) for first place on the Capitals franchise multi-goal games list. 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