Rory McIlroy believes Europe’s Ryder Cup team should follow the grand slam record title-holder Novak Djokovic’s example when it comes to dealing with American hostility in New York this month.
Djokovic, a keen golfer himself, delivered a pep talk to the team before their resounding victory in Rome two years ago, and last week McIlroy was pictured courtside watching the Serb at the US Open just hours after the Northern Irishman finished the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
McIlroy, at the K Club near Dublin this week for the Irish Open, tuned in on Tuesday night to see Djokovic beat the US home favourite Taylor Fritz in their quarter-final at Flushing Meadows and the world No 2 golfer believes he picked up a few tips before the Europe team’s trip to a boisterous Bethpage.
“It was a very pro-American crowd. He’s been the best at handling that,” said McIlroy, who won his only Irish Open title nine years ago on this course. “He’s had to deal with it his whole life, whether it’s playing against an American in New York or playing against Roger [Federer] or Rafa [Nadal].
“He came and spoke to us a little bit about that stuff last time in Rome, so maybe [it’s about] taking a leaf out of his book and channelling that energy the right way. All we can do is control our reaction and our emotions to it. I think the less we play into it, the better it is for us.”
After Luke Donald made his six captain’s picks on Monday, meaning an unprecedented 11 of the 12 players victorious in Rome will head to the US, McIlroy said it was the “right 12 players”. And following a landmark year personally when he completed the career grand slam by winning the Masters, he is looking to surpass his own expectations.
“Obviously I’d love to win this week, I’d love to win next week at Wentworth [the BMW Championship],” said McIlroy, who has signed up to captain a four-man team against the world No 1 Scottie Scheffler in the Golf Channel Games in December at Trump National Golf Club in Florida.
“But if we were to win an away Ryder Cup with everything else that I’ve been through this year, 2025 would be the best year of my career.”
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