Rory McIlroy has ruled out the idea of one day serving as both Ryder Cup player and captain, saying he doesn’t think it would be feasible. The 36-year-old is preparing for his eighth Ryder Cup appearance, set to compete at Bethpage Black in September as Europe attempt to defend the Cup on American soil for the first time since 2012 and the famous “Miracle at Medinah.”
The discussion around a possible playing captain for Team USA has centered on Keegan Bradley, who currently sits 10th on the United States qualification list. With Bradley in the captain’s chair, talk has resurfaced about whether he could also take the course as a player during the event. McIlroy, who was Europe’s top points scorer in the Rome victory two years ago, addressed the idea directly, saying he “shot it down straight away because I don’t think you can do it.”
McIlroy stressed how large and intricate a Ryder Cup has become, noting the captain’s responsibilities go far beyond the week of competition. “There are a lot of things that people don’t see that the captain does in the week of the Ryder Cup,” he said, pointing to meetings with vice captains and the PGA of America, as well as preparing opening ceremony speeches. He suggested a player would need the freedom to play more than one session if they were in good form, which could be difficult to balance with captaincy duties.
Scottie Scheffler gave a different perspective, praising Bradley’s leadership and suggesting he would welcome Bradley if he wants to be part of the team and to play. “If it’s something that Keegan wants to be part of the team and wants to play, he’s a guy we’d all love to have on the team,” Scheffler said. He added that Bradley’s passion for the Ryder Cup has been evident and that his leadership and intensity have exceeded expectations.
On the schedule side, McIlroy is gearing up for the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club, having chosen to skip last week’s St. Jude Championship. He cited the Ryder Cup, upcoming DP World Tour events including the Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, and his bid for a seventh Race to Dubai title as the reasons for his decision. “I’m playing nine times between now and the end of the year, so I’ve still got a pretty busy stretch coming up, and I just think that extra week off will do me good,” he explained.
The BMW Championship will be broadcast by Sky Sports with extensive coverage across its platforms, as the FedExCup playoffs push toward a conclusion and a spot in the Tour Championship is up for grabs.
In summary, McIlroy has firmly stated that serving as a playing captain is not something he sees as viable, emphasizing the demanding nature of the captain’s role. Meanwhile, Bradley’s potential dual role remains a talking point, with teammates like Scheffler praising the captain’s leadership while the team weighs how best to balance playing time and captaincy as the Ryder Cup approaches at Bethpage. If a positive outcome can emerge from the discussions, it would center on strong leadership paired with a clear plan to maximize on-course performance for Team USA.