The 2025 Ryder Cup mind games have begun with Rory McIlroy suggesting Team USA’s lack of a “figurehead” contributed to their 2023 loss to Team Europe in Rome, while suggesting it would be “impossible” for Keegan Bradley to both play and lead the hosts.
Team Europe’s Ryder Cup veteran argued that Team USA has often gone with a “player-led” approach and has missed out on the stewardship that has resulted in Luke Donald receiving a rare second chance at captaincy for Europe.
This year’s edition of the biannual event takes place in September, with the defending champions heading Stateside to Bethpage Black in New York.
The Team USA side hasn’t had a playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963, but the imperious form of their captain, Keegan Bradley, means he may have his chance at rarity by qualifying as a playing member on merit.
McIlroy, world number two and now a career grand slam victor, had a hot take on Team USA’s captaincy dilemma and their contrasting dynamic: “Keegan has played great. He’s had a great year and is one of the best 12 Americans right now. I definitely think the USA are better with him playing than not.”
But it’s the difficulty of balancing the weight of leadership and participation that the Masters winner deemed unachievable: “Absolutely not, hopefully it’s impossible. It’s going to be an interesting couple of months to see how it all shakes out.”
Team USA and its “player-led” approach
The 2023 Ryder Cup saw Team Europe dominate with the visitors seeming rattled both on and off the course in Italy as they fell to a 16.5 to 11.5 defeat.
Both teams have employed different approaches to the management of the event, with McIlroy preferring their traditional dynamic.
He added: “It feels like it’s a player-led team in America and obviously we have our input as players on the Europe team but we do have that one figurehead in Luke Donald. I think that’s important.”
The Northern Irishman has kick-started the talking following a second-round 65 at the Genesis Scottish Open.
He said: “I think even going back to Rome, when the Americans got off to a pretty rough start, I think because Zach Johnson (Team USA 2023 captain) gave the team so much ownership, they had no one to look to.
“They were looking at each other instead of having a focal point: ‘Tell us what to do’. That is something that Europe have done very, very well. But also the players have allowed the captain to be a captain as well.”
Rumours have been swirling around that 2018 USA captain, Jim Furyk, would return to the captaincy if Memorial 2025 winner, Bradley, is a member of the playing squad.
However, the USA captain has dismissed the notion suggesting he’d undertake the weight of both roles if he qualifies to play upon merit.
Rory McIlroy: “Right in the thick of things”
McIlroy sits T6 at The Renaissance Club in the last event before The Open at Royal Portrush with his 65 catapulting him into contention over the weekend.
The Open next week kick-starts a big three months for the 36-year-old, who will be aiming to win a sixth Major and first on home soil and a sixth Ryder Cup victory for Team Europe.
After a tough few months plagued with lapses in form and controversy, McIlroy is back to his bubbly self and finding birdies during links season: “I’m excited for the weekend and right in the thick of things, in contention going into the last two days.”
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