Rory McIlroy says he turned down player-captain offer for 2027

Richard Heathcote
Those hoping for a Ryder Cup captain showdown between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are about to be disappointed.

Woods, who was in discussions for 2025 American captaincy before turning it down due to time constraints, is now the front-runner for the gig in 2027 when his responsibilities in the PGA Tour-LIV Golf negotiations are (hopefully) over. The European captain is less clear, although given that the Ryder Cup will be played in Ireland at Adare Manor and Adare owner J. McManus has a personal relationship with Rory McIlroy – there was the idea that perhaps Europe would counter Woods’ star power with its own marquee attraction in McIlroy, with the Ulsterman taking on a player-captain role similar to that that Woods did in the 2019 Presidents Cup.

Alas, after a first-round 65 at the Genesis Scottish Open on Thursday, McIlroy put an end to this pipe dream. More golf digest
Makilra, who started from the moment of her broken heart at the opening of the United States, asked if he was surprised by Kigan Bradley to lead the American Cup team. “I think disbelief,” Scotland told Northern Berwick journalists. “I think Keegan probably didn’t believe it either at one point, but it’s certainly an interesting choice.

“I think the youngest captain since Arnold Palmer was a playing captain at 34. But he knows Bethpage well: He studied at the local college. He’s obviously very passionate about the Ryder Cup.”

During Bradley’s appearance this week in New York, the 2011 PGA champion expressed his desire to make the team as a player, but only through automatic qualification. McIlroy weighed in on the possibilities of the captaincy, admitting that it was the multiple challenges that led him to turn down the role of player-captain in 2027.