Rory McIlroy has doubled down on his bullish claim that Europe will conquer Bethpage in 2025, insisting he is “more confident than ever” that Luke Donald’s side can win a Ryder Cup on US soil for the first time since 2012.
Speaking ahead of his return to competition, McIlroy reflected on the comments he made in the immediate aftermath of Europe’s dominant victory in Rome two years ago, where the Northern Irishman played a starring role.
“I think one of the biggest accomplishments in golf is winning an away Ryder Cup,” he said after Europe's triumph.
“And that is what we’re going to do at Bethpage.”
Now, with 18 months gone and the dust settled on his emotional Roman campaign — one that saw him clash with American caddie Joe LaCava in a fiery car park row — McIlroy insists those words were not just heat-of-the-moment bravado.
“I am maybe more confident than I was then,” the four-time major champion declared, per The Guardian.
“Obviously I said that in the euphoria of winning the Ryder Cup, but with everything that has happened since — the way our team is shaping up, Luke agreeing to be captain again, the form of the Europeans — I feel even stronger about it.
“If I compare it to the last two away Ryder Cups that I’ve played, we are in a much better spot.
Rory McIlroy has doubled down on his bullish claim that Europe will conquer Bethpage in 2025, insisting he is “more confident than ever” that Luke Donald’s side can win a Ryder Cup on US soil for the first time since 2012
|REUTERS
"We’re still underdogs, but I am far more confident than I was in 2016 or 2021 that we can pull it off.”
McIlroy’s Ryder Cup conviction comes during a year that has already elevated his standing in the sport.
His long-awaited triumph at Augusta National in April completed the career Grand Slam, placing him alongside the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Gene Sarazen in the game’s most exclusive club.
“When we won at Medinah in 2012 I didn’t appreciate what it meant,” he admitted.
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“It was only my second Ryder Cup and my first away, and I didn’t understand the magnitude of it, especially how dramatic that Sunday was. Now I do. I’d love that feeling again — it’s a huge motivation.”
McIlroy is under no illusions about the atmosphere awaiting him in New York.
“It’s inevitable something will happen in New York,” he smiled.
“It might not involve me, but when you go into that environment and the crowd is on you for eight hours a day, five or six days in a row, it will get to someone.
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Rory McIlroy helped Team Europe beat Team USA to secure Ryder Cup glory in 2023
|GETTY
"The key will be managing it as a group and having each other’s backs.”
Asked about Bryson DeChambeau’s vow to “chirp in his ear” at Bethpage, McIlroy was dismissive: “The only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people.
"That’s basically what I think of that.”
For McIlroy, the Ryder Cup sits alongside the majors as the pinnacle of his professional life.
Rory McIlroy is full of optimism as the 2025 Ryder Cup looms
|GETTY
“When all is said and done, people aren’t going to remember how much money I won,” he said.
“They’ll remember the majors, they’ll remember Ryder Cups. Those five events are what really matter to me now.”