Rory McIlroy stands by the parting shot he made at the end of the 2023 Ryder Cup. “I think one of the biggest accomplishments in golf is winning an away Ryder Cup. And that is what we’re going to do at Bethpage, McIlroy had said then. The Northern Irishman has now said that he has grown even more confident of that statement since 2023 ahead of the upcoming Ryder Cup.
McIlroy’s confidence primarily stems from the form of the Europeans this year on the tour.
“I am maybe more confident than I was then,” McIlroy said to the Guardian. “Obviously I said that in the euphoria of winning the Ryder Cup but I think with everything that has happened since; the way our team is shaping up, Luke agreeing to be the captain again, having the continuity of the team the way it is, the form of the Europeans all of this year but especially leading into the event. If I compare it to the last two away Ryder Cups that I have played, I would say we are in a way better spot. I still believe we are the underdogs but I feel more confident than I was in 2016 and 2021 that we can pull it off.”
McIlroy also spoke about Bryson DeChambeau, the American who was unable to stop him from completing a career slam when he won the Augusta Masters and completed a lifelong ambition. DeChambeau had earlier said that he intended to ‘chirp in the ear’ of McIlroy, to which the 36-year-old responded that DeChambeau was farming for some attention.
“I think the only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people,” said McIlroy. “That is basically what I think of that. To get attention he will mention me or Scottie Scheffler or others.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
