Why Keegan Bradley should already be concerned about what he’s seeing from Rory McIlroy ahead of the Ryder Cup

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Keegan Bradley may well be concerned about what Rory McIlroy has in store for his players at the Ryder Cup later this month.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the 45th edition of the Ryder Cup at the famed Bethpage Black later this month has the potential to be the most exciting yet in the 98-year history of the competition.

McIlroy stoked the fire before he and his European teammates take on Bradley‘s US side in New York State in 20 days’ time.

He suggested that acting as a playing captain would be an impossible task two weeks before Bradley named his picks.

And Bradley has been using McIlroy’s Ryder Cup comments from 2023 as a motivation tool for his team.

The Northern Irishman insisted that the Europeans will achieve one of the most difficult things to do in sports and win the Ryder cup away from home at Bethpage.

Throughout the storied history of the Ryder Cup, there have been many exhilarating moments, and this year’s edition could well top the lot.

Tensions are rising ahead of the showdown, and Bradley already has one big concern, after it emerged that Xander Schauffele will not be playing alongside the rest of the US Ryder Cup team at the Procore Championship next week.

Now the US captain has another big issue on his plate.

Keegan Bradley should be concerned about Rory McIlroy ahead of the Ryder Cup

McIlroy may have missed his fair share of putts at The K Club this week, but his ball-striking off the tee has been sensational.

The 36-year-old’s driving is exquisite when he’s on song and it is no exaggeration to say that he is the best in the world with the ‘big stick’ in his hands.

McIlroy is one of the longest hitters in the game and when he’s in full flow, it’s hard to envisage him shooting anything worse than three or four-under par.

However, it’s not just his driving distance that has caught the eye in Ireland this week. The Northern Irishman has hit more fairways than he usually does as well and as a result, he is sitting at the top of the strokes gained off the tee stats during the first three rounds of the Irish Open.

McIlroy hasn’t been entirely comfortable with his driver since he was forced to switch clubs after his ‘gamer’ was deemed as non-conforming ahead of the PGA Championship back in May.

However, he may well have finally found a driver that suits him perfectly.

His distance off the tee will be a huge advantage for him at Bethpage Black and if he can maintain the accuracy he has shown during the Irish Open, any US Ryder Cup team member who faces him will be in for a seriously difficult game.

As a side note, Shane Lowry is ranked seventh in strokes gained off the tee at The K Club, and with long and straight driving set to be such a premium at Bethpage, things are looking really good for the Europeans right now.

Rory McIlroy’s PGA Tour driving stats in 2025

McIlroy’s swing is in a real groove right now.

He’s got a pep in his step once again, and a confident McIlroy firing on all cylinders in Ireland this week is just what captain Donald needed to see.

Here is how his driving stats from the Irish Open compare to his PGA Tour stats off the tee in 2025:

McIlroy has clearly improved his driving accuracy significantly this week in comparison to what he produced on the PGA Tour in 2025.

And someone who flies the ball 320 yards through the air hitting just over 71% of fairways will be a scary prospect for Bradley and his Ryder Cup players at Bethpage Black later this month.