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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. Cheap Air Max Online . 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. Cheap Air Max Outlet . The Goldeyes (10-7) lost 4-1 to the Saltdogs (8-9) Sunday afternoon before 5,834 sizzling fans at Shaw Park. The loss drops Winnipegs record to 3-4 during this past weeks seven-game homestand. Cheap Air Max Sale .5 million, two-year contract that runs through 2015. Venable, the son of former big leaguer Max Venable, will make $4. http://www.airmaxoutletsale.us/ . According to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the deal will pay Schenn $2.25 million in the first year and $2.75 million in the second year. In 82 games with the Flyers in 2013-14, Schenn scored 20 goals and added 21 assists.INDIANAPOLIS -- Trailing after the first half, the Pacers fell back on what they do best, upping the defensive pressure to frustrate the Pelicans and pull out the victory. Paul George scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead four Pacers in double figures and Indiana rallied from a seven-point, second-quarter deficit for a 99-82 win over New Orleans on Saturday night. George said the Pacers had to get after Eric Gordon after the former Indiana University star repeatedly drove the lane in the first half to score 17 of his 21 points. "Hes a tough matchup," the 6-foot-9 George said of the 6-4 Gordon. "Hes so quick. He has a great centre of gravity. He has great second and third moves. "I did what I do: use my length and crowd him." George said the Pacers knew they had to defend better after New Orleans shot 52.5 per cent (21 of 40) in the first half. Despite getting good looks, the Pacers shot 41.9 per cent (18 of 43) before intermission. "We knew eventually that the shots we were going to fall," George said. "We just play so well defensively, we know thats going to keep us in the game. We just stuck to our defence." Lance Stephenson scored 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, Danny Granger came off the bench to score a season-high 13 and George Hill added 10 for Indiana. Alexis Ajinca scored a season-high 17 points, reserve Tyreke Evans added 12 and Anthony Davis 10 for New Orleans. Pelicans shooting forward Ryan Anderson remained in a Boston hospital after sustaining a cervical stinger when he collided with the Celtics Gerald Wallace and fell hard to the floor Friday night. Five different Pacers scored as Indiana went on a 14-0 run over a 4:12 span of the third quarter. The Pelicans, meanwhile, missed seven straight field goals. The frustrated Pelicans also drew three technical fouls during the Pacers third-quarter run -- one each to Davis, Jrue Holiday and assistant coach Dave Hanners -- the last two after a foul call on Holiday. Gordon scored just two points in the third quarter. Ajinca converted both of his field goals in the period, but the rest of tthe Pelicans missed 12 of 14 attempts. Wholesale Air Max Shoes. "We just didnt play that well," Pelicans coach Monty Williams said. "Basically, they took it to us on the defensive end, and I thought offensively Stephenson was the catalyst for them. "We just got out of sync on the offensive end, and that led to them getting a number of offensive opportunities. They just picked up, and we did not." Indiana made 11 of 16 field goals (68.8) in the decisive quarter. "They came out and played a great first quarter, and we buckled down the rest of the way," said Pacers coach Frank Vogel. "We wanted to mix up the matchup on Gordon, give him a different look. "We adjusted our offensive package a little bit to get more efficiency. What we showed in the third quarter is who we are: were a high-powered offence with some shot-makers." The Pelicans put together a 12-0 run over a 3:08 span in the first quarter to push a two-point lead to a 27-13 advantage 2:30 before the break. Davis hit a jumper and drove the baseline to pace the surge. Watson hit a 15-foot jumper, Luis Scola sank a jumper from the right side and Watson made a 19-footer as Indiana responded with a 6-0 burst in under a minute early in the second period to close to within eight points. Gordon scored his 17 first-half points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc as the Pelicans led 49-44 at the half. NOTES: Earlier Saturday, the Pacers recalled rookie forward Solomon Hill from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League. He averaged 19 points and 3.5 rebounds in two games there. . The Pacers comeback went against the Pelicans grain. Going into Saturdays game, New Orleans had been 9-1 when holding its opponent to fewer than 100 points and 11-5 when it had the halftime lead. . George has scored more than 20 points in 24 of the Pacers 32 games. ... The Bankers Life Fieldhouse crowd rose for a standing ovation when the score of the Colts 45-44 comeback win over Kansas City at nearby Lucas Oil Stadium was announced at the half. "Im really happy for Indy sports fans," Vogel said. "A clean sweep tonight." ' ' '