Luke Donald has emphasized the significance of Rory McIlroy to the European Ryder Cup team, despite McIlroy’s initial reservations about the matchplay event earlier in his career.
McIlroy has become a crucial player for the European team, participating in the last seven Ryder Cups and winning five of them. At 35, he has become a seasoned Ryder Cup veteran, and his experience is now just as valuable as his on-course skills to the European team.
Speaking at a press conference in New York on Tuesday to mark one year until the 2025 event at Bethpage Black, European team captain Donald highlighted McIlroy’s importance in the locker room.
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“Rory has been a leader for us,” Donald told reporters. “He understands the Ryder Cup, he understands that he wants to prepare as best as he can just like he would for a major. He is always a strong leader and strong voice in the team and he is great to have because of that.”
However, McIlroy’s connection to the event wasn’t always strong. Before his Ryder Cup debut at Celtic Manor in 2010, the four-time major winner downplayed the event’s importance to his career.
“It’s not a huge goal of mine,” he said. “It’s an exhibition at the end of the day.”
However, his attitude quickly changed, and his Ryder Cup turnaround was evident after McIlroy broke down in tears following Europe’s record-breaking defeat to the United States in 2021.
Rory McIlroy of Team Europe talks with Luke Donald, Captain of Team Europe on the 16th green (
Getty Images)
Fighting back his emotions three years ago, McIlroy told Sky Sports at Whistling Straits: “The more and more I play in this event, I realize that it is the best event in golf bar none. I love being a part of it, I can’t wait to be a part of many more. Yeah, it is the best.”
Donald referred back to McIlroy’s initial 2009 comments as well as his change of heart during Tuesday’s press conference. “I think it was a little bit of a rude awakening for Rory when he made those comments before his first Ryder Cup in 2010,” the captain claimed.
“Pretty quickly he found out it really isn’t an exhibition. This is the best event in golf and he even said that after the loss at Whistling Straits. He was very emotional.”
Looking ahead to next year’s event, McIlroy is already eyeing just a rare victory on away soil. “I’ve said this for the last probably six or seven years to anyone that will listen: I think one of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup,” McIlroy said in Rome last year. “And that’s what we’re going to do at Bethpage.”.
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