Rory McIlroy shuts down Ryder Cup 2027 captaincy talk and admits disbelief at Keegan Bradley’s dual USA role
Rory McIlroy Dismisses 2027 Ryder Cup Captaincy and Questions Keegan Bradley’s Dual Role
Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irish golfing superstar, has unequivocally shut down any speculation about him captaining the 2027 Ryder Cup. Additionally, he has expressed strong doubts about Keegan Bradley’s potential dual role as a playing captain for the USA.
McIlroy revealed that there was considerable disbelief among the European camp regarding America’s choice for the captaincy role next year at Bethpage. Although he briefly considered the position for his side’s next home match at Ireland’s Adare Manor, McIlroy quickly realized the enormity of the task rendered it impractical. He explained, “Absolutely not. I’ve contemplated it for Adare and no, there’s 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.”
Pressed further on the matter, McIlroy clarified: “It’s been mentioned and I’ve just said no way because it depends what do you want? 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.”
**Regarding Keegan Bradley, McIlroy insists that if Bradley qualifies as a player, he will have to relinquish the captaincy.** “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,” McIlroy stated.
McIlroy also shared insights into the European team’s reaction to Bradley’s selection. “Definitely I think a surprise for everyone. We had dinner in London on Sunday night with Luke and he told us then. It’s an interesting appointment. The youngest captain since Arnold Palmer, I think, was a playing captain at 34, but he [Bradley] knows Bethpage very well. He went to university in the area. He’s obviously very passionate about the Ryder Cup. It’s certainly a departure from what the US have done over the last few years, and you know, time will tell if that’s a good thing or not.”
When asked about the reaction in the room when Donald announced Bradley’s appointment, McIlroy replied, “I think disbelief, probably. I think Keegan was probably in disbelief, at some point, too, but certainly an interesting pick. It seems quite reactionary in terms of what happened in Rome, but I don’t know. It’s an unbelievable opportunity for Keegan and, 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 even Paul McGinley being a strategic adviser for Bethpage as well. Just to have those familiar faces in the room has always been a good thing for us.”
**McIlroy’s comments come on the heels of a successful return to the course.** In his first outing since the US Open collapse at Pinehurst, he shot an impressive opening 65 at the Genesis Scottish Open. His title defense began strongly, and he expressed confidence in his game, stating, “I’ve still got a lot of confidence in my game. I hit a couple of shots over the first few holes that I haven’t seen in practice over the last 10 days, a bit of a reminder that golf isn’t as easy as sometimes I think it is. But then I really started to feel good. I’m not really one to reach out for advice. Not to say that there was a lot of unsolicited advice coming my way, but I’ve always tried to figure things out myself. I’m not going to let three or four holes cloud my judgment in terms of how good I’m playing. It wasn’t just the US Open. I played well at the Canadian Open and at Memorial before that, PGA and Quail Hollow. My game was in good shape coming in here.”
