Two years ago, after the dominant victory of Europe over the United States at the Ryder Cup 2023 in Marco Simone, Rory McILroy sat with confidence on the platform and offered a prediction that echoed in the golf world since he left his lips in Italy.
“I said it for six or seven years probably to anyone who will listen to: I think that one of the greatest achievements of the golf course is to win a Ryder Cup outside, and that’s what we are going to do in Bethpage,” said McILroy.
The Northern Irishman Take another marker at the start of this season When he described the remaining goals, he wanted to accomplish in his career: win the masters, win an Olympic medal and win a Ryder Cup outside.
McILroy checked the first with a historic victory at Augusta National in April. An expected post-Massers discomfort followed while McILroy sought motivation to climb another mountain after finally summing up his Everest. But McILroy ended up in the open championship of Royal Portrush, and his victory at the Open of Amgen Irish reminded us what he has been saying for a while: When the events that matter to him arrive, he does not need to find motivation.
While McILroy considered once the Ryder Cup as nothing more than an exhibition, the biennial event has become rooted in his golf soul when he has matured and grew up to understand the importance of the event. It is therefore not surprising that Paul McGinley, who will serve as a strategic advisor to the European captain Luke Donald during the Ryder Cup of next week, saw a mcilroy locked during the team’s recent scouting trip to Bethpage Black.
“Rory reached the past two and a half days,” said McGinley at a call conference this week. “He was above. Being with guys, having a crack, having a joke, being one of the guys. Not being Rory McILroy, the mega superstar that everyone is based on his time. Golf is to win a Ryder Cup outside. »»
McILroy has not fallen from his prediction that Europe will be victorious with Bethpage Black. In a motivation video sent to Great Britain and the Ireland Walker Cup team, McILroy finished with a promise to bring the Cup to Europe after a three-day duel to the “The People’s Country Club”.
“As a person who played a Walker Cup and was unable to do it, then play Ryder Cups and be able to beat the Yanks in their own backyard, nothing feels better,” said McILroy in the message. “Please beat them because I know we’re going to beat them at Bethpage.”
McILroy also participated in the pre-right cup festivities when he struck Bryson Dechambeau An interview with The guardian Ewen Murray. Murray questioned in McILroy the plan of the “gas” if the two compete with Bethpage, which led to a disdainful response of the five -year major champion.
“I think the only way it attracts attention is to mention others. This is essentially what I think. To attract attention, he will mention or Scottie (Scheffler) or others ”, McILroy said to Tutor.
This brings us back to McILroy’s commitment two years ago to beat the Americans with Bethpage Black. It is a clip that American captain Keegan Bradley showed his team as a motivation tool. You could call it Babillard equipment for Americans, but it could end up being a weapon for Europe by highlighting the best of McILroy.
McGinley knows McILroy well and has seen his star rise over the past two decades. He knows that when Rory McILroy really wants something, the best version of Rory McILroy usually happens. Given everything McILroy said about Europe to win in Bethpage, McGinley thinks that Europe should withdraw this from McILroy to Bethpage Black.
“The thing about Rory is that he has always been a volatile artist,” said McGinley. “Rory’s success and Rory’s career have never been a straight line. You could browse him. There have been a lot of drops in his career. You know, when he won major championships, he sort of soaked. He had a lot of hollows in his career, then he returned.
“Rory’s personality has entered and goes out. And, having seen him the last two and a half days, he will be ready. »»
As for this proclamation at the end of the Ryder Cup 2023, McILroy feels even better now than him.
“I may be more confident than me,” McILroy told Murray during the 2025 Tour championship in East Lake. “Obviously, I said that in the euphoria to win the Ryder Cup, but I think that with everything that has happened since; The way our team is announced, Luke agrees to be the captain again, having the continuity of the team as it is, the form of this year Europe, but in particular by leading to this event.
“If I compare it to the last two Ryder cups outside that I have played, I would say that we are in a better place. I always believe that we are the outsiders but that we felt more confident than in 2016 and 2021 than we can do it.”
Rory McILroy’s post-Syder Cup words could eventually come back to bite him Next week at Bethpage Black. Or maybe McILroy will end his year as he started: by invoking the best of his game to add another line to his curriculum vitae from the reputation temple while cementing his promise Ryder Cup as part of his tradition.
Anyway, McILroy’s words will end up telling the story of a victorious European upheaval or another home victory for the Americans.
;)
