Rory McIlroy suggested to have new role at the Ryder Cup for the very first time in his career

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Rory McIlroy is very much going to be the key man for Europe at this year’s Ryder Cup but with his experience, it seems he’s also set for a new role.

McIlroy is very much one of the elder statesmen in Luke Donald’s side now and in the future, he’s an absolute lock to be a captain.

For McIlroy, winning on American soil is what he wants. After dominating in Rome in 2023, McIlroy has boldly predicted that the next step was winning at Bethpage.

• READ MORE: Who is Rory McIlroy? A closer look at one of the greatest golfers of all time

Of course, Luke Donald very much has his vice-captains and leaders in place already.

But according to 5 Clubs’ Jaime Diaz, McIlroy is very much set in stone as one of those leaders now.

Rory McIlroy’s new role in the European Ryder Cup team

With this being McIlroy’s eighth Ryder Cup appearance, he’s very much on course to become one of the all-time leading appearance makers.

With that, comes experience and responsibility and according to Jaime Diaz, that is now starting to come to the fore in 2025.

“I think for the first time he is legitimately really a leader. He has earned that position. He has always been vocal but he has always been a supportive vocal. Now I think that he is an initiator of this is what we are doing here and this is important. This is part of being great,” Diaz said.

“He said maybe one of the greatest achievements in golf now is to win an away Ryder Cup and I think it has become so. The Ryder Cup is so prominent and that is the one aberration that has not really been settled. But I think the last six, the pattern is always there.”

“He has done so many things that we were waiting and hoping he would do. Once he won that Grand Slam it was so satisfying on so many levels it just leapt him up in stature and history and I think in terms of the respect that he has in other players too. He has been through the mill. I think he was looked at as the gifted player who had his weeks early in his career and it was a little too easy in a way for him.

“Not to ever denigrate any of those victories, but in terms of grit it didn’t have to be demonstrated. When it did have to be demonstrated sometimes he seemed wanting in that regard, then he goes and has heart breaking losses at St. Andrews and Pinehurst.

“Now he has earned his spurs. He has been through it. To come back from that showed grit. What he did at The Masters was like a microcosm of his whole career. Up and down and tragedy and triumph and in the end resilience and toughness. Now he is an elder statesman with some real capacity for authority.”

• READ MORE: Rory McIlroy has given new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp a ‘warning shot’ as big change with the players could occur

Rory McIlroy is in the best shape ever for a Ryder Cup

Rory McIlroy knows how to handle pressure and he’s been doing it for years.

Whether that be on an individual basis or in team events, he knows when to turn up and when to produce the big moments.

Now getting ready for Ryder Cup number eight, there is an argument to suggest McIlroy is now better equipped than ever.

He’s won the grand slam, won multiple big events and competed at a high level throughout 2025. He is playing with freedom, and has a confidence and calmness about him that we’ve not seen for a while.

Right now, McIlroy is the best player in the world barring Scottie Scheffler by some distance and if he can produce and win maximum points, then Team Europe might just succeed.