Rory McIlroy has revealed that he would love to captain Europe at the Ryder Cup someday. The 36-year-old was one of the key players as Europe defeated the United States at Bethpage Black to secure their first away win in thirteen years. Many expect McIlroy to lead Europe at the 2027 Ryder Cup, but the Northern Irishman isn’t exactly eager to take on the captain’s role just yet.
Rory McIlroy Not Keen On 2027 Captaincy
McIlroy has been a central figure in Europe’s Ryder Cup success for over a decade, and while the World No. 2 is open to leading Europe, he admits he still has a few Ryder Cups left as a player before that day comes. When asked if he had thought about taking over the captaincy in 2027, McIlroy said:
“I would love to be the European captain at some point. But that will be beyond my playing days, or at least when my playing days are coming to an end and I’m not good enough to make the team or I make way for the new generation to come along. Hopefully that’s not in 2027! Hopefully I’m still good enough to play and put points on the board for Europe.”
The 36-year-old faced abuse at Bethpage Black and hurled expletives at some fans in response. McIlroy even refused to putt until officials escorted some crowd members off the course. However, that didn’t stop the Northern Irishman from putting in a solid performance as he accrued 3.5 points for Team Europe at Bethpage.
McIlroy Targets Mid-2030’s To Captain Europe
Luke Donald, who has been widely praised for guiding Europe to back-to-back victories, has hinted that McIlroy could indeed be a future captain. However, McIlroy says that he’s happy to have played under the Englishman but maintains he isn’t ready for the captaincy responsibilities just yet.
“I would love to be a captain one day, and I feel very fortunate that I’ve had a front-row seat playing under some of the best captains in history in the Ryder Cup…So hopefully one day in the future, but I’d say not until the mid-2030s, hopefully, if I can keep playing well.”
McIlroy is one of the headline players in a strong field for the inaugural DP World India Championship, which tees off on October 16, 2025, at Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi. The field also includes other Ryder Cup stars such as Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and Team Europe captain Luke Donald. McIlroy is currently leading the Race to Dubai after his recent Irish Open win, and the favorite to win the Race to Dubai title for a fourth consecutive time. The field also features American major winner Brian Harman and two-time PGA Tour winner Ben Griffin, who made his Ryder Cup debut at Bethpage Black last month.
Main Photo Credit: © Paul Childs-Reuters via Imagn Images
