Rory McIlroy has declared his intention to captain the European Ryder Cup team, although he has indicated that it won't be before the "mid-2030s." The Northern Irish golfer is currently competing in his first tournament in India after helping Europe retain the Ryder Cup by beating the United States last month in New York.
At 36, McIlroy has competed in the last eight Ryder Cups and, as the reigning Masters champion and world No. 2, he hopes to remain part of the team in future editions, including the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland. However, he expressed his desire to lead the team as captain rather than just as a featured player.
“I would definitely love to be a captain one day. I feel very fortunate to have played under some of the best captains in Ryder Cup history,” McIlroy said, mentioning Paul McGinley, who was the winning captain in 2014, and Luke Donald, who led the European team in the last two matches. “But I don’t think it will be before the mid-2030s, if I can keep playing well.”
During the tournament at Bethpage Black, McIlroy faced criticism from American spectators, to which he responded at times, amid a tense atmosphere that became a recurring theme of the week. He considers it a shame the attention was focused on that, given that Europe became the first team to win a Ryder Cup away from home since 2012.
“Over the last two weeks, I’ve been able to watch the highlights, and especially in the first two days, how well the European team played,” McIlroy said. “The Americans were hitting good shots; we were hitting better ones. They’d make a putt, and we’d make one right after, and that happened every time. It’s unfortunate that people aren’t remembering that and are focusing on the week for the wrong reasons. I want to change that narrative and highlight how well the European team played and how proud I am to have been part of that team that won a Ryder Cup on the road.”
A more international calendar
McIlroy has long expressed interest in playing in India, seeking to expand his schedule. In November, he is scheduled to compete in Abu Dhabi and the European Tour's season-ending tournament in Dubai, in addition to the Australian Open in December.
"Over the past few years, I've enjoyed traveling even more. I've enjoyed playing in front of people I've never had the opportunity to play in front of before," he commented. As a self-described "cricket fanatic," McIlroy expressed his disappointment at not being able to attend a match of the sport, so popular in India, during his visit. "I'd love to go back and do that," he concluded.
