Rory McIlroy has revealed that the possibility of him being both captain and player at the same time in a Ryder Cup has been put on the table. He mentioned it casually, as if we all knew about the existence of such a formal proposal. He hasn’t given many details and simply clarified that it wasn’t a formal proposal, but it has been discussed.
Quickly, in the fine art of speculating with some common sense, many have thought of the next Ryder in 2027 at Adare Manor, Ireland. Indeed, it seems that in Europe there has been talk about the possibility of McIlroy being captain and player in the next edition, although the World Number 2 hasn’t gone that far. He hasn’t specified when it was being discussed or said that it’s something official. First, he said: “It was proposed to me, and I rejected it.” Then he added: “I wasn’t asked, but the idea came up, and I dismissed it immediately.”
McIlroy dropped this bombshell almost without realising during the press conference before the BMW Championship, the second playoff of the FedEx Cup and the first for the Northern Irishman after skipping the first in Memphis. His unexpected confession came when he was asked about Keegan Bradley’s situation. “I don’t think it can be done. The obligations of a captain that week are enormous: more media attention, more meetings with vice-captains, with the PGA of America, preparing speeches… there are many things people don’t see, and the Ryder Cup is very big now. Maybe 20 years ago it was possible, but now it’s very difficult. Besides, the captain isn’t on the course all day, so he could only play one session on Friday and another on Saturday. You’d prefer to have a player who can go twice if they’re in form. That’s why I think it would be very complicated.” Rory rules it out. How happy Mr McManus, the wealthy owner of Adare Manor, would have been with a captain’s duel between Rory and Tiger Woods. We’ll see if both fall or just one.
That said, McIlroy is clear that Bradley should play the Ryder. “I think he’s one of the top 12 American players. That’s why everyone is so interested in his case. It will be interesting to see what happens.” When asked about his priorities when making a team selection, McIlroy is very clear: chemistry. “That he fits well with the team. Maybe you already have a partner in mind for foursomes or fourballs. Adaptability, flexibility, and someone everyone is comfortable with. You don’t want a ‘fox in the henhouse’.”
Another hot topic Rory touched on was his absence in the first FedEx playoff. The Northern Irishman explains it as a simple matter of scheduling. “I’m going to play nine times from now until the end of the year, so in October or November, I’ll appreciate that extra week of rest,” he notes. As for the FedEx Cup format, Rory doesn’t have a solution either, although he offers a possibility that has been discussed and never heard before. “There has been much debate about whether the playoffs should be mandatory or not. I didn’t play last week, is that something they should review? An idea has been proposed: that everything resets after the Wyndham, that the top 70 play for the 50 spots the following week, and then everything resets here, and from there, the 30 for the TOUR Championship emerge. If you want them to be pure knockouts, I think it would be a good option. But many things need to be balanced: the competitive integrity of the playoffs, television rights, sponsors… they expect the big stars to be in their tournaments, and that’s delicate.”
Finally, he revealed what he first bought when he won the first FedEx Cup. A failed purchase. “A watch with diamonds around it. Horrible. It was the worst purchase of my life.”
