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17th August 2016
01:38pm BST

Unsurprisingly, given the timing, the cryptic nature of the tweet, the fact that it was deleted and McIlroy's shall we say 'complicated' relationship with the Irish team at the Rio Games, many are putting two and two together and assuming that the tweet was directed at Hickey's predicament.
https://twitter.com/mjshrimper/status/765888158051557376
https://twitter.com/CahairOKane1/status/765885829407469568
McIlroy even liked a tweet speculating that his message was intended for Hickey.
Hickey had previously spoken about Nike's failure to sponsor the Irish team's kit in Rio and said that they were 'furious' to have allowed, in theory, their golden boy in McIlroy wear another's brand's clothing at the Games.This would be a "yes" then (Yes, this like is from McIlroy)@ballsdotie pic.twitter.com/bYYZYA8Zsg
— Redmond Shannon (@RedShannon) August 17, 2016
"Before Rory decided whether he'd declare for Team GB or Ireland we put our team gear out to contract," Hickey said at an event in Dublin 100 days out from the Games. "Just in case he declared for us, we went to Nike in the UK and told them we might have Rory. But they just dismissed us out of hand and now they regret it, I believe. "I'm told the Nike guys nearly collapsed when they heard what happened and that they'd missed a golden opportunity. Rory's agent came to us and said, 'What about Nike?' And I said, 'What about them? They had the opportunity and they missed it.'"McIlroy subsequently pulled out of the Games, citing fears over the Zika virus.
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