Rory McIlroy makes Ryder Cup captaincy claim ahead of DP World India Championship

Rory McIlroy admits he would love to one day captain the European Ryder Cup team - but not for at least another 10 years. 

McIlroy, 36, made his feelings be known when speaking about the captaincy ahead of this week's $4m DP World India Championship where the Northern Irishman makes his competitive debut in the nation. 

The World No.2 is the headline act in this week's DP World Tour field, which also comprises his fellow Ryder Cup heroes Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry, as well as their victorious captain Luke Donald. 

McIlroy is making his first competitive start since taking three and half points en route to helping Europe defeat USA 15-13 at Bethpage last month. 

The Ulsterman and his wife Erica were subject to some horrendous insults and verbal abuse in New York, especially during the Saturday afternoon fourballs which GolfMagic followed inside the ropes. 

But despite all the noise in the aftermath of the biennial contest being about the hostile atmosphere, McIlroy wants to flip the script and get everyone to start remembering the great golf that Luke Donald's Europe played to defeat Keegan Bradley's Team USA.

Donald's team became the first away side to win the Ryder Cup since Medinah in 2012. 

"The unfortunate thing is people aren't remembering that and they are remembering the week for the wrong reason," said McIlroy. 

"I would like to shift the narrative and focus on how good the European team were and how proud I was to be part of that team to win an away Ryder Cup."

Rory McIlroy wants Ryder Cup captaincy - but not until the mid 2030s

As for the captaincy, with a lot of talk right now whether victorious two-time captain Donald fancies a crack at an outright record three wins in a row at Adare Manor in two years time, one reporter asked McIlroy whether he would like to one day follow in Donald's footsteps. 

"Sometime, yes, but certainly not 2027," confirmed McIlroy as to whether he would like to be a future Ryder Cup captain. 

"I hope I'm still playing at that point. 

"But yeah, I would love to be the European team captain at some point, but that will be beyond my playing days, or at least when my playing days are coming to an end and I'm not good enough to make the team or I make way for the new generation to come along.

"Hopefully that's not in 2027. Hopefully I'm still good enough to play and put points on the board for Europe.

"But yeah, absolutely, I would love to be a captain one day, and I feel very fortunate that I've had a front row seat playing under some of the best captains in history in the Ryder Cup."

McIlroy pays tribute to Donald

McIlroy then piled praise on the work of Donald, who has skippered the Europeans to back to back victories in 2023 and 2025.

Donald, 47, became the first and only other captain since Tony Jacklin in 1989 to win two Ryder Cups on the bounce.

The popular Englishman is still contemplating whether to keep hold of the captain's armband for Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027. 

Donald is now considered by many, including ourselves here at GolfMagic, as the greatest Ryder Cup captain of all time. 

The main other candidate for the position in 2027, should Donald not want to take it on again, is Francesco Molinari. 

McIlroy would love to emulate the feat of Donald whenever he gets the chance to captain Team Europe in the future. 

"I think what Luke Donald has done the last two Ryder Cups has revolutionised the captaincy within Europe," added McIlroy.

"I also feel like Paul McGinley in Gleneagles in 2014, he was a wonderful captain, and I learned a lot from him, and there's been wonderful captains between them, as well. All of them have been wonderful.

"But I think the time and the effort and the dedication that Luke Donald has put into the last four years, it's been absolutely amazing. He has 100% respect of the entire team and everyone that's worked for him and all be behind him. If I can be nearly as good as a captain as Luke Donald, I'll have done a good job."

So when might McIlroy fancy it? 

"Hopefully one day in the future, but I'd say not until the mid-2030s, hopefully, if I can keep playing well." 

Which Ryder Cup contest might McIlroy fancy as captain? 

Taking a look at future Ryder Cup venues, perhaps a certain 2037 contest at Congressional where McIlroy won his first major title at the 2011 US Open could offer some appeal. McIlroy will be 48 years old then. 

What is McIlroy's Ryder Cup record?

McIlroy is an eight-time playing member of the European Ryder Cup team.

He has six wins and two losses.

McIlroy's Ryder Cup record stands at 19-14-5, which equates to a 57% strike rate. 

His 21.5 points for Europe puts him seventh on the all-time list and seven points behind all-time leader Sergio Garcia. 

Many consider McIlroy will easily surpass that record well before he takes the captaincy.