RORY MCILROY HAS revealed he has dismissed a suggestion that he could be a playing captain in the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor.
Keegan Bradley said he hopes to play and captain the United States at Bethpage next year after being surprisingly handed the captaincy when Tiger Woods turned it down.
Bradley will be 39 years old at the time of next year’s event and will be the youngest Ryder Cup captain since 34-year-old Arnold Palmer was a playing captain in 1963.
Asked if it was possible to play and captain in the modern era, McIlroy – who would be 38 by the time of the 2027 Ryder Cup – said: “No, absolutely not.
“I’ve contemplated it for Adare and no, there’s too much work that goes into it. I’ve seen what Luke [Donald] went through preparing for Rome – there’s no way you can be as good a captain as you need to be and be a playing captain as well.”
McIlroy was speaking after he made a strong start to the defence of his Scottish Open title at the Renaissance Club, carding a five-under par 65. He is currently in a tie for seventh, three shots behind leader Justin Thomas.
Seamus Power and Tom McKibbin are both one-under after both shot 69, while Padraig Harrington is a shot further back on level par after this first round.
McIlroy did not say who had broached the subject of Ryder Cup playing captaincy with him but added: “It’s been mentioned and I’ve just said no way because it depends what do you want?
“If you want to be the best captain you can be you can’t play, and if you want to be the best player you can be you can’t captain.
“It’s one or the other, especially with how big the Ryder Cup has become and how many things you have to do in the lead up to the event, the week of the event.
“Keegan is the 19th ranked player in the world so he’s got a great chance of making the team and then, if he does, I think he’s just going to have to give that captaincy role to one of his vice-captains.”
Bradley has no captaincy experience and his appointment, which came out of the blue and without any interview process, is a significant departure from the US succession planning which had been put in place by a “Task Force” formed in the wake of the defeat at Gleneagles in 2014.
“It seems quite reactionary in terms of what happened in Rome but I don’t know,” said McIlroy, who was told of Bradley’s appointment by European captain Donald on Sunday evening.
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity for Keegan and, speaking from a European point of view, it’s really nice to have the continuity we’ve had over the years with vice-captains becoming captains and even [2014 captain] Paul McGinley being a strategic adviser for Bethpage as well.
“Just to have those familiar faces in the room has always been a good thing for us. It’s certainly a departure from what the US have done over the last few years and time will tell if that’s a good thing or not.”
McIlroy was competing for the first time since agonisingly missing out on a fifth major title at Pinehurst.
The world number two chipped in for an eagle on the third hole, his 12th of the day, and also recorded five birdies, but missed good chances on three of his last five holes.
“I hit a couple of shots over the first few holes that I haven’t seen in practice over the last 10 days so it was a bit of a reminder that golf isn’t as easy as sometimes I think it is,” McIlroy said with a smile.
“But then I really started to feel good. Especially on the front nine, our back nine, I started to hit some good drives, some good iron shots.
“I gave myself plenty of chances on that back nine and actually felt like I left a couple out there as well. Overall a good start, especially after the scrappy start over the first six or seven holes.”
McIlroy briefly held a two-shot lead with five holes to play in the US Open but bogeyed three of the last four, missing from two feet and six inches on the 16th and three feet and nine inches on the last to finish a shot behind Bryson DeChambeau.
“I’m not going to let three or four holes cloud my judgement in terms of how good I’m playing,” the 35-year-old added.
“It wasn’t just the US Open. I played well at the Canadian Open and at Memorial and the US PGA and Quail Hollow. My game has been in good shape and it was in good shape coming in here.
“It’s just a matter of going out there and focusing on the task at hand and not letting your mind wander too much. I felt like I did a good job of that today.”
