McIlroy says he wants to leave legacy in Ryder Cup rallying call
FARMINGDALE, New York :As the most experienced player at this year's Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy has taken on the leadership mantle for Europe and the Northern Irishman issued a rallying call on Thursday, saying the holders were playing for history at Bethpage Black.
He completed his long-sought career Grand Slam at Augusta this year and will chase an away victory on Long Island with the same ferocity as he fought for the green jacket in his eighth trip to the biennial golf spectacle.
"We are playing for history and we're playing for the players that came before us," said McIlroy, who has been to the Ryder Cup more than any player on either team.
"We are also playing for the guys that are going to come behind us, as well, the young boys that are dreaming of becoming European Ryder Cup players. We want to try to leave a legacy for them."
That poetic passion is a far cry from his first encounter with one of golf's most treasured traditions, which he dismissively called an "exhibition" event before his 2010 debut.
The then-21-year-old got a wakeup call as he stepped into the team room at Celtic Manor.
"I just saw how much it meant to everyone," he said. "I was like, 'Maybe I got this wrong'."
McIlroy was the youngest member of the European team when they pulled off the "Miracle at Medinah" in 2012, when they became the last away team to win the Ryder Cup, deepening his passion.
"Winning another away Ryder Cup, just considering how hard that has been over the past 12 years, it would be one of the greatest accomplishments of my career for sure," he said.
That passion has resonated for the rest of Team Europe, which is virtually identical to the 2023 group, save for rookie Rasmus Hojgaard.
"He's a leader. He's potentially the greatest European golfer of all time," Scotsman Robert MacIntyre told reporters. "I've looked up to him since I was young, and I've got no problem walking behind Rory McIlroy if he's leading the charge."
Ireland's Shane Lowry said McIlroy had become someone the rest of the team looked to for leadership.
"To have one of the greatest golfers of your generation in your team room, as well, is pretty cool," said the 2019 Open Championship winner.
McIlroy has been unafraid to ruffle feathers in the past, clashing with American caddies at the 2023 Ryder Cup and repeatedly sparring with LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau in the media.
But he sidestepped controversy at his introductory press conference on Long Island on Thursday, taking a diplomatic tone.
"It's so easy to play into narratives this week and to get swept up in rivalries," he said.
"All I want to do is go and try and put blue points on the board. I don't care who it's against."
