Rory McIlroy has ruled out a playing captain’s role in the 2927 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor.
The world number two, who will be 38 when the centenary Ryder Cup is staged in Co Limerick, does not believe it is possible to play and captain in the modern era.
“No,” McIlroy told Golf Channel when asked about being a playing captain in three years’ time.
“Absolutely not. I’ve contemplated it for Adare and there’s too much work that goes into it.
“I’ve seen what Luke (Donald) went through preparing for Rome. There’s no way you can be as good a captain as you need to be and be playing as well.”
Keegan Bradley (38) has expressed the ambition to make the US side when he is captain at Bethpage Black next year.
McIlroy speculated that Bradley’s surprise appointment was a knee-jerk reaction to Europe’s five-point win in Rome last year
“It seems quite reactionary in terms of what happened in Rome, but I don’t know,” McIlroy said.
“It’s obviously an unbelievable opportunity for Keegan and just speaking from a European point of view, it’s really nice to have the continuity we’ve had over the years, with vice-captains becoming captains and then even Paul McGinley becoming a strategic advisor to us for Bethpage next year as well, just to have those familiar faces in the room, I think it’s been a good thing for us.”
Luke Donald will captain Europe in New York next year with veteran Justin Rose one of the favourites to take up the reins in Ireland.
Tiger Woods remains the leading candidate to captain the USA at a venue owned by JP McManus, who is close to the 15-time Major winner.
“We know how much JP means to golf and what he’s done for our sport and any time we can help out any which way we possibly can, we do and this is one of the ways we can pay tribute to JP and what he’s done,” Woods said at the JP McManus Pro-Am in 2022.