McIlroy, 36, had already mentioned last summer that he had turned down a chance to be playing captain at the 2027 Ryder Cup. That he was brought into discussions is not a surprise; McIlroy has been the team’s heart and soul for the better part of a decade and the event will be played in Ireland at Adare Manor,

There may have been a couple motives behind McIlroy's recent take on what may happen for the American side in 2025

The interest in the topic stems from the impending decision by Keegan Bradley over whether he’ll select himself as one of the 12 members of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, which would make him the first playing captain since 1963 when golf legend Arnold Palmer did it.