Breaking: Rory McIlroy says he turned down player-captain offer for 2027 Ryder Cup
Those hoping for a Ryder Cup captain showdown between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are about to be disappointed.
Although Woods declined discussions for the 2025 American captaincy due to time constraints, he is now a leading contender for the role in 2027. This is contingent upon completing his responsibilities with PGA Tour-LIV Golf negotiations. The European captaincy remains uncertain, but there has been speculation that McIlroy may take on a player-captain position similar to what Woods did at the 2019 Presidents Cup since Adare Manor will host Ryder Cup and its owner J.P.McManus shares personal relations with Rory Mcilory.
Unfortunately, McIlroy dashed any hopes of achieving a first-round 65 at the Genesis Scottish Open on Thursday.
Rory McIlroy expressed disappointment as fellow golfers Poulter, Westwood, and Garcia retired from playing at the Ryder Cup.
When questioned about Keegan Bradley’s selection as captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, McIlroy expressed his surprise and disbelief during his debut following a disappointing performance at the U.S. Open tournament; reporters in North Berwick, Scotland obtained this statement from him: “I believe it was total disbelief for me, and perhaps even for Keegan at some stage too. Nevertheless, an intriguing decision.”
“I believe the youngest captain since Arnold Palmer was 34 years old and also played in the tournament. Moreover, he has a strong familiarity with Bethpage due to attending university in that locality. It is clear that his enthusiasm for Ryder Cup runs deep.”
When Bradley was introduced in New York this week, he stated that his goal is to make the team as a player. However, he only wants to do so through automatic qualifying. McIlroy commented on how appealing the captain’s job can be and revealed that it’s precisely because of all its responsibilities that he declined being a player-captain back in 2027.
McIlroy declined the idea, stating “It’s impossible to be a top-notch captain and maintain your playing ability. I witnessed firsthand what Luke Donald went through for Rome. The amount of effort required is excessive.”
To excel either as a captain or player, you must choose between the two. With the Ryder Cup’s increasing importance and numerous pre-event preparations, one cannot perform both roles proficiently at once.
In 33 matches, McIlroy who is aged 35 has a record of 16-13-4 and has participated in seven Ryder Cups.
