Rory McIlroy has described the United States as “the best country in the world” on the eve of the 2025 Ryder Cup, which tees off this week at Bethpage Black in New York. The Northern Irishman will spearhead the European challenge as they attempt to wrest the trophy from the Americans, who have historically dominated at home.
Despite being booed during practice and expected to face a raucous, partisan crowd when play begins on Friday, McIlroy’s admiration for the U.S. remains steadfast. “Everyone wanted to make it in America, it's the land of opportunity and I still believe it's the best country in the world. We are here and we are playing for history,” he said, highlighting the personal connection he feels to the country where he has spent the majority of his professional career.
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The 36-year-old, who became only the sixth player to complete a career grand slam this year, praised the culture of hard work and success in the U.S. “If you come here and work hard and dedicate yourself, you can be or do whatever you want. I am unbelievably grateful and lucky that I got to come to America early on. I think success is celebrated here. I think there's a wonderful sense of work ethic. I live here. My wife is American, my daughter is American. I have a lot of affinity towards this country and I think everyone that lives here should have that same affinity because it is a wonderful place.”
Yet McIlroy’s admiration for America does not lessen his determination to lead Team Europe to victory. Europe are defending the Ryder Cup but have not won on American soil since 2012, achieving only four away victories since the contest expanded to include continental players in 1979. “Basically since 2012, the home team has won convincingly every time. Whatever team is the one to break that duck I think is going to go down as one of the best teams in Ryder Cup history. We are here and we are playing for history,” he said.
McIlroy’s passion for the Ryder Cup was evident two years ago in Rome, where tensions flared during his clash with Patrick Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava, after the matches. Despite his many individual achievements, McIlroy says his favourite moments in golf have been at the Ryder Cup. “I've always said I'm proudest of my individual achievements in the game but the most memorable moments and the most fun I've had in my career have been at Ryder Cups. Winning another away Ryder Cup, just considering how hard that has been over the past 12 years, would be one of the greatest accomplishments of my career for sure.”
Facing the intensity of the partisan crowd, McIlroy aims to channel the energy into performance rather than distraction. “I feel at times in the Ryder Cup I have engaged too much with the crowd, but then there's times where I haven't engaged enough. It's really just trying to find the balance of using that energy from the crowd to fuel your performance,” he said.
With McIlroy leading the European side for the eighth time, Irish fans will be watching closely, hoping their star continues to balance his deep respect for the U.S. with the relentless drive to bring the Ryder Cup back to Europe.
