Rory McIlroy About Ryder Cup Captaincy: “Some I Wouldn’t Be Okay With”

The BMW PGA Championship 2024 is a season highlight on the DP World Tour. After his narrow defeat last week in Northern Ireland, Rory McIlroy is playing another of his “favorite tournaments of the year” this week. Ahead of the event, McIlroy answered questions from the press at Wentworth Golf Club and spoke about Jon Rahm’s participation in the Ryder Cup 2025, as well as his requirements for a European captain.

Rory McIlroy: “Jon Rahm Is A Wonderful Addition to the European Team”

MATTHEW JOULE: World No. 3, Rory McIlroy.

Rory, Royal County Down last week, BMW PGA Championship this week. How nice to be on the DP World Tour this time of year where the big events just keep oncoming?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it’s amazing. Yeah, I mean, in all honesty, I was really excited to get back and play — obviously play last week. Play this week and the Dunhill in a couple of weeks’ time as well. You know, three of my favourite events of the year.

Yeah, here at Wentworth, the sun is shining and so many people out there on a Wednesday. There’s not many better places to be. So excited to be here. Looking forward to getting back on the horse after what happened last Sunday and giving it another go.

Q. May I ask the same question that I asked Justin yesterday, and that is, can you conceive of a Ryder Cup Team without Jon Rahm?

RORY McILROY: Yeah. He could be injured; his game could go off.

But Jon Rahm, the way he’s playing right now and the way he’s played since he turned pro in 2016 or ’17 or whatever it is, Jon Rahm is a wonderful addition to the European Team.

Q. I meant ruled out because of an inability to follow the rules. That’s what I meant.

RORY McILROY: Well, from my understanding, he is following the rules. He appealed the decision or whatever it is that he did. So that makes him eligible, as long as he plays his minimum number of events, like Members of the Tour have to do to be eligible for the Ryder Cup.

So I wouldn’t expect someone that as a Member of the Tour, you know what the rules are to be able to play a Ryder Cup and be eligible, and as long as you meet that criteria, then you’re okay to play.

McIlroy Sets Clear Requirements For A Ryder Cup Captaincy

Q. Back on the Ryder Cup theme again just for a second if you don’t mind. You may or may not have seen quotes related to Ian Poulter over the last couple of days saying that he still harbors hopes of being a European captain at some point. Is it plausible, or given everything is there too much water gone under that bridge, do you think?

RORY McILROY: I think it’s hard because we don’t really see them anymore, especially — I’m not sure if Poults gave up his European Tour Membership. You know, you need someone around that’s comfortable. You look at what Luke has done the last few years, he’s really made an effort to come over. He played in Czech Republic. He was in Switzerland.

He’s making an effort to be around the players and be — make the players feel comfortable with him, the up-and-comers that haven’t had a chance yet to be on a team or trying to make a team.

With the guys that left, Poulter, Westwood, we don’t — how can these young up and comers, you know, build a rapport with them when they are never here? You can’t see them. I think that’s a really important part of a Ryder Cup and a Ryder Cup captaincy.

I’m not saying that Poulter doesn’t have the credentials to be a Ryder Cup Captain, but I just think with the current state of where everything is, you need someone that’s around and showing their face as much as they can. Right now, that honestly just can’t be them because they are elsewhere.

NB: Under current DP World Tour regulations, any Member who fails to comply with the minimum Counting Tournament Regulation in any one Official Season or who does not take up Ranked Membership in an Official Season in which he is so eligible (ie: falls out of Membership) will be ineligible thereafter to be selected as the European Ryder Cup Captain or Vice Captain.

Q. On a personal level, would you have any objections to being captained by Ian Poulter or Lee Westwood or whoever else could potentially be?

RORY McILROY: It’s such a gray area. There’s some that I would be okay with and others I wouldn’t be okay with. Sorry to put them all in the same bucket.