CHASKA, Minn. – With six rookies on the European Ryder Cup team, there was no need to explain to Rory McIlroy what his role would be this week.
Playing his fourth Ryder Cup at Haziltine National, McIlroy said it took him a few turns before he felt comfortable with a leadership position in the Continent’s team room, but he has gotten there.
“At Gleneagles last time, I embraced that more and I took more responsibility, and that was really to do with Paul McGinley,” McIlroy said. “I relished that opportunity. I relished the opportunity to sort of rally our guys and be one of the leaders and speak up in the team room when I needed to.”
That wasn’t the case in 2010 at his first Ryder Cup, and even in 2012 despite the fact he was the world’s top-ranked player and had just won his second major championship.
“I still didn’t feel like it was my place to be a leader on the team,” he said. “We had so many other players that had more experience in the Ryder Cup and were older than me, so I still didn’t feel like I deserved that role.”
That won’t be the case at Haziltine, where European captain Darren Clarke will lean heavily on McIlroy’s experience considering the make up of his team.