McIlroy won his second consecutive major when he lifted the USPGA Championships at the Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky on Sunday (August 10).

It was also the third consecutive tournament he has won, which included last month's British Open, a run of form which has coincided with the 25-year-old from Northern Ireland publicly declaring in June that he had chosen to represent Ireland at Rio 2016, despite the fact he is also eligible for Britain. 

It followed a protracted debate over which country he would choose to play for. 

McIlroy is now almost certain to qualify for Rio 2016 and will be among the favourites to become the first golfer to claim an Olympic gold medal since Canada's George Lyons won at St Louis in 1904, the last occasion the sport appeared on the programme. 

"We are thrilled with Rory McIlroy and the fact he's declared for Team Ireland," Hickey told insidethegames. 

Hickey had used last night's OCI annual meeting - where he was re-elected as President for a new four-year - to publicly praise the achievements of McIlroy.

"We are immensely proud of him," said Hickey. 

"We think he will bring great enthusiasm and excitement to our team at Rio 2016.

"He played much of his early golf in Ireland and came through the system here so it makes sense for him to compete for Ireland."

Rory McIlroy's victory in the USPGA Championships was the fourth major of his career, and his second in succession ©Getty Images

Hickey, who stayed up to watch the television into the early hours of yesterday morning and follow the rain-delayed final round at Valhalla Golf Club, has not spoken to McIlroy since his declaration for Ireland. 

"We will be seeking a meeting with him and his team in the near future to make sure that everything goes smoothly for him in the build-up to Rio 2016," said Hickey. 

"But he's a great personality and a great mixer so we are not anticipating any problems."

Hickey also praised Sebastian Coe, chairman at the British Olympic Association (BOA), for not putting any pressure on McIlroy to play for Team GB at Rio 2016. 

"Seb always said that he wanted Rory to make the decision that was best for him and, that if he decided he wanted to compete for Ireland, then he would support that and cheer just as loudly for him at Rio 2016," Hickey told insidethegames. 

"In the last 30 years, espeically in the 1970s and 1980s when the Troubles [in Northern Ireland] were at their height, we never had one dispute with the BOA about an athlete declaring for Team Ireland.