Rory McIlroy wants to be Ryder Cup captain - but not very soon

Rory McIlroy, Europe's most prominent golf star, has announced his intention to captain the European Ryder Cup team one day. However, the golfing world will have to be patient, as the 36-year-old Northern Irishman categorically rules out taking on the prestigious role in the next ten years on one condition: As long as his active career continues, Rory McIlroy will not switch to the captain's role.

McIlroy made his statement ahead of the DP World Tour event in India, his first tournament after his recent triumph in New York.

Rory McIlroy's Ryder Cup dream: When will he be captain?

Although Rory McIlroy sees captaincy as a long-term goal, his role as a player has absolute priority. "Absolutely, I would love to be captain one day and I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to sit in the front row and play under some of the best captains in Ryder Cup history," said the eight-time Ryder Cup winner.

However, he clearly limited the exact point in time when he would take over. Only when he is no longer good enough to support the team as an active player will he take the plunge. He considers the mid-2030s to be realistic: "But, I wouldn't say before the mid-2030s, hopefully, if I can continue to play well." McIlroy thus unequivocally rejects the next European home event in 2027 at Adare Manor in Ireland. "Certainly not 2027. I hope I'm still playing at that time," he confirmed.

Why Rory McIlroy doesn't want a dual role as playing captain

Rory McIlroy sees no possibility of taking on the leadership role while he is still on the course himself and immediately ruled out the idea of being a playing captain. He emphasized that the Ryder Cup in its current form makes a dual role impossible.

"If you had said that 20 years ago, I would say yes, it probably would have been possible." However, given the evolution of the tournament, that has changed: "But given the spectacle and everything that's at stake in the Ryder Cup today, I think it would be a very difficult position to be in," he explained. The captain's duties - from media work and meetings to preparing speeches - are now so extensive that they require full concentration.

Luke Donald and Paul McGinley: Rory McIlroy's captain role models

McIlroy draws on the experience he has gained under leading figures in the European team. In particular, he highlighted Luke Donald, who led the team to victory in the last two events, and Paul McGinley, who was captain at Gleneagles in 2014.

McIlroy had nothing but praise for Donald's role and described him as a game changer: "I think what Luke Donald has done in the last two Ryder Cups has revolutionized the captaincy role in Europe." This is his benchmark for the future: "If I can be anywhere near as good a captain as Luke Donald, I will have done a good job."

The star's message: Rory McIlroy wants to put sporting performance in the spotlight

Rory McIlroy concluded by expressing his disappointment that the tumultuous scenes and verbal attacks by spectators in New York overshadowed the perception of the historic away win. He called for the focus to be on the team's exceptional performance.

"The unfortunate thing is that people don't remember it, they remember the week for the wrong reasons. I want to shift the narrative and focus on how good the European team was and how proud I was to be part of that team that won an away Ryder Cup," the star player appealed.