Rory McIlroy has revealed that there was talk about him being a playing captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland, but has dismissed the plan out of hand as he feels the role just isn’t doable.
McIlroy feels “there’s no way you can be as good a captain as you need to be” if you are also lining up as a player in such a huge event as the Ryder Cup – something that Keegan Bradley has mooted he wants to do.
At 38, Bradley will be the youngest captain since Arnold Palmer was a playing captain in 1963 – but times have changed and the role has expanded beyond recognition.
The surprise Team USA captain says he will be trying his best to play his way into his own team for Bethpage Black next year, but that’s not something McIlroy would try to emulate.
McIlroy will also be 38 when Adare Manor in Ireland hosts the 2027 Ryder Cup and the four-time Major champion revealed that he did consider being a playing captain for that event after the possibility was put to him.
But he does not believe that you could play and captain a Ryder Cup team and do both jobs to the best of your ability.
“No, absolutely not,” McIlroy replied when asked if being a playing captain at the Ryder Cup was possible.
“I’ve contemplated it for Adare and no, 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 a playing captain as well.”
McIlroy hinted that he’d actually been asked, most likely by someone connected with the European Ryder Cup team, about the possibility of taking up the dual role in Ireland.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
He’s pretty emphatic in his response though, with just too much effort needed to be a player and a captain to be able to do both as good as he would like to.
“It’s been mentioned and I’ve just said no way because it depends: what do you want?,” McIlroy added.
“If you want to be the best captain you can be you can’t play, and if you want to be the best player you can be you can’t captain.
“It’s one or the other, especially with how big the Ryder Cup has become and how many things you have to do in the lead-up to the event, the week of the event.”
And McIlroy dismissed Bradley’s hopes of wanting to be a player-captain, as he believes that the 2011 PGA Championship winner would need to hand over the role to a vice-captain if he made the team by right.
“Keegan is the 19th ranked player in the world so he’s got a great chance of making the team and then, if he does, I think he’s just going to have to give that captaincy role to one of his vice-captains.”