Rory McIlroy says Team Europe’s players are “more accomplished” than during their 2023 Ryder Cup victory and are ready to achieve something “very, very special” when they take on USA at Bethpage Black later this month.
Eleven of the 12 golfers who were part of the triumph in Italy two years ago will take part in New York, with the only change Rasmus Hojgaard replacing twin brother Nicolai.
No away side has won the Ryder Cup since Europe’s ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012 under the captaincy of Jose Maria Olazabal, but McIlroy says Luke Donald’s group can buck that trend between September 26-28, live on Sky Sports.
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Luke Donald named his six picks for the Ryder Cup… Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick
The world No 2 – who features in this week’s Amgen Irish Open in County Down in which he will tee off in the first round at 8am on Thursday live on Sky Sports – said: “I’ve said this repeatedly but I think winning an away Ryder Cup is up there with one of the biggest achievements in the game, especially nowadays.
“There’s a reason every Ryder Cup for the last 10 years has gone to the home team. They have a big advantage from the set-up of the course to how partisan the crowd is.
Team Europe ‘more accomplished’ than in 2023
“But I think the Europeans have a wonderful opportunity this year to achieve something very, very special – but it’s going to be very difficult. Make no mistake, we know we’re up against it. We know we’ve got a tall task on our hands.
“They have a very strong team. They’re going to have a pretty raucous crowd on their side and on a golf course that a lot of them know pretty well from previous tournaments.
“But I love the team that Luke has assembled. It’s a very strong 12 players and I think it’s the right 12 players.
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Robert MacIntyre has won twice on the PGA Tour since being part of Team Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup victory in Rome
“You could certainly make that case [that the players are stronger than in Rome]. You could argue that pretty much every player is more accomplished than two years ago.
“Someone like Bob MacIntyre has won a couple times on the PGA Tour and had a chance to win the US Open.
“I think when we went to Rome, you had some guys that were purely foursome players, some guys were purely fourball players. I think now we have more flexibility within that 12.”
McIlroy: I need to make sure the game is sharp
McIlroy finished in a share of 12th place at the BMW Championship and then tied 23rd at the Tour Championship, where he admits he was unable to get all parts of his game functioning at the same time.
A win in his native Northern Ireland would be his fourth of the year after February’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, March’s Players Championship and then his Grand Slam-clinching victory at The Masters in April.
However, McIlroy says getting his golf in order is more important than another trophy ahead of the Ryder Cup.
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McIlroy was spotted enjoying Novak Djokovic’s match against Learner Tien at the US Open just hours after playing golf in Atlanta at the Tour Championship
McIlroy, who will also play in next week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, added: “I would love to add another W to column this year, that would be lovely, but it’s not a necessity. It would be great to at least feel really good about my game.
“I’d love to get myself into contention and at least be a little bit sharper than I was at the BMW and at the Tour Championship.
“I figured out my ball striking at least in Atlanta. I felt like I hit the ball terribly at the BMW but I putted well. Then in Atlanta, I hit the ball better but I putted terribly.
“I just need to try to piece everything together and these are two big weeks to make sure the game is sharp
“But I think the only way to tell you’re as sharp as you want to be is getting yourself in contention under pressure, the business end of things on Sunday.
“I think it’s important to do that. It’s important to give myself a couple of chances to win.”
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